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<P>Hi All: </P>
<P>This is a late version of our regular mailing, bringing Christmas Greetings
and perhaps a forward look to our activities in 2008.</P>
<P>SARA Happenings is issued to foster communication within the Search and
Rescue community in Alberta. It is going to 328 e-mail addresses that are listed
as the primary contact of SAR Alberta member groups or which were requested to
be added to the mailing list.</P>
<P>Subscription and unsubscription information is at the end of the newsletter.
</P>
<P> </P>
<P>
<HR>
</P><B>
<P>SEASONAL GREETINGS</P></B>
<P>As another year comes to an end, I just want to say - Thank you - for all
your hard work and dedication during the year. As professional volunteers you
have shown Albertans what we do best. </P>
<P>I am wishing you, your team and your families an enjoyable time during the
festive season, here's hoping you can send spend time with family and friends.
</P>
<P>I look forward to working with you in the new year Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year </P>
<P> </P>
<P>Rodney Dietrich SAR Alberta - President </P>
<P> </P>
<P>
<HR>
</P><B>
<P>YOU KNOW YOU ARE A SAR JUNKIE WHEN:</P></B>
<P>* You have more than 4 rolls of flagging in your car at any one time What
color do you want?? Orange? Lime?)</P>
<P>* You can hold an entire crew briefing in acronyms (Considering the PLS, LKP
and POD the Type 3 POA for SEC 3 will be...)</P>
<P>* You can wear a different rescue shirt everyday of the week. (CARDA on
Monday, EDCSAR on Tuesday, NASAR on Wednesday...) </P>
<P>* All of your Christmas wish list items are in the catalogs from Search Gear,
Galls, SAR Camp, etc/</P>
<P>* You think blaze orange is a great color.</P>
<P>* You own LOTS of stuff that is BLAZE ORANGE.</P>
<P>* You always have these items in the back of your car: 24 hour SAR pack,
Wilderness Medical Kit, rope throw bag, a few coils of static line, and enough
climbing hardware to decrease you gas mileage to 10 gallons per mile. </P>
<P>* You've ever duct taped together rain gear (& more!)</P>
<P>* You have yet to encounter a problem that duct tape and a Leatherman tool
can't fix. </P>
<P>* You've ever had a heated debate between Gibbs vs. Prussics, Leatherman tool
vs. Gerber, or 1/3 strength Gatorade vs. ½ strength Gatorade.</P>
<P>* You can vow that the saying "A shower a day keeps the flies away" is true
from experience. </P>
<P>* You lost all your table manners when you joined your SAR team.</P>
<P>* You've considered a turkey sandwich & Gatorade fine dining after 3days
in the field. </P>
<P>* You can splint just about anything with sticks, zip ties and duct tape</P>
<P>* Your favorite free time activity is going through your SAR gear.</P>
<P>* Reflective tape is a sought after fashion accessory.</P>
<P>* You have a CPR mask, flashlight, knife & rescue 8 bottle opener on your
keyring.</P>
<P>* You have more than 5 rescue decals or 3 radio antennas on you personal
vehicle. </P>
<P>* You know all of your local SAR radio frequencies by heart.</P>
<P>* You think SAR conferences are a great vacation.</P>
<P>* You can't go to a SAR conference with out spending $100 at the gear
vendors. if you get away that cheap!) </P>
<P>* Your friends have teased you by leaving you strapped in a stokes
litter.</P>
<P>* You take a 30lb pack to go for a day hike with friends.</P>
<P>* The criteria for your personal vehicle was having 4 wheel drive and ample
gear space. </P>
<P>* You're an Advil junkie.</P>
<P>* You have a rescue cut in more than 1 pair of boots.</P>
<P>* You don't own anything that is cotton.</P>
<P>* This list actually makes sense to you!</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Thanks for this one, Michelle. It’s on the web at > <A
href="http://www.dbs-sar.com/SARJunkie.htm">http://www.dbs-sar.com/SARJunkie.htm</A>
</P>
<P> </P>
<P>
<HR>
</P><B>
<P>AND FOR ALL YOU SAR JUNKIES</P></B>
<P>Michelle sent this link for some serious reading over the holidays. It’s from
the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. </FONT><A
href="http://www.ccohs.ca/newsletters/hsreport/issues/2007/11/ezine.html?id=12583&link=1"><U><FONT
color=#0000ff><FONT
face="Times New Roman">http://www.ccohs.ca/newsletters/hsreport/issues/2007/11/ezine.html?id=12583&link=1#inthenews</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>In the News: Fatigue - The Foe You Don't Want to Know
at Work</P>
<P>Hazard Alerts: Seafarer Safety</P>
<P>OSH Answers: MSDS - A Safe Read</P>
<P>Partner News: Pushing, Pulling, Lifting and Lowering</P>
<P>CCOHS News: Health and Safety Committees</P>
<P> </P>
<P>
<HR>
</P><B>
<P>NEW IN THE USA</P></B>
<P>Congress passes Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act </P>
<P>WASHINGTON - New legislation was passed Tuesday that will prohibit the
federal government from taxing benefits provided to volunteer firefighters and
EMS personnel by state and local authorities.</P>
<P>The Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act (VRIPA) was passed by the
House of Representatives after it went through the Senate last week.</P>
<P>The act, one of the NVFC's top legislative priorities in 2007, is now headed
to the president for signature. </P>
<P>Leaders from the NVFC testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in
October about the need to protect the benefits communities across the country
provide to volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel as a recruitment and
retention tool. </P>
<P>"Federal taxation of volunteer first responder benefits has several effects,"
said John McAuliffe, NVFC Connecticut State Director, during the testimony. "The
most obvious is to reduce the value of the benefit to the volunteer." </P>
<P>The language that passed in H.R. 3648 exempts all tax benefits provided by
state and local units of government to volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel
from taxation by the federal government. Additionally, the first $360 per year
of any other type of benefit that a volunteer receives would be exempted from
taxation. </P>
<P> </P>
<P>Item sent in by Rodney Dietrich, SAR Alberta - President </P>
<P> </P>
<P>
<HR>
</P><B>
<P>SARA HAPPENINGS SUBMISSIONS </P></B>
<P>Our regular publication date for mailings of SARA Happenings is the middle of
each month. Please note that the deadline for material is the 14<SUP>th</SUP> of
each month. </P>
<P align=center></P>
<P align=center>Does your group have an event posting for the SARA Happenings
mailing? If so, please send information 1-1/2 months prior to the dates you wish
advertised. It will then give ample time for those reading it to respond. </P>
<P align=center></P>
<P align=center>Please send all material to the editor; Chris Hoare at </FONT><A
href="S˜"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT
face="Times New Roman">choare@shaw.ca</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>
PLEASE DO include contact information for members to gain further
information.</P>
<P align=center></P>
<P align=center> </P>
<P align=center>To subscribe or unsubscribe visit <A
href="http://castrov.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sara-happenings">http://castrov.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sara-happenings</A>
enter your e-mail address and click on "Edit Options". Automatic subscribers
will need to click on "EMail My Password to Me". You can subscribe and
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