Hi All: <br><br>SARA Happenings is issued to foster communication within the Search and Rescue community in Alberta. It is going to 226 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.<br>
Subscription and unsubscription information is at the end of the newsletter. <br><br><br><b>CAVE RESCUE WORKSHOPS</b><br><br>NOTE: Information on BCCR / ACRO events can be found at <a href="http://www.missioncontrol.co.nz/itm/Calendar.aspx?ID=10">http://www.missioncontrol.co.nz/itm/Calendar.aspx?ID=10</a> <br>
<br><b>ACRO/BCCR Cave Rescue Workshops</b> – Hinton, AB, May 21 – 25, 2010 (and Horne Lake, BC if you can’t make the Hinton one!)<br> <br>The annual round of Companion Cave Rescue and Cave Rescue Response workshops are now being scheduled and registration is open. Details for the workshop can be found both on the event listing link above or on the cancaver website at <a href="http://www.cancaver.ca/bccr/BCCRtrain.htm">http://www.cancaver.ca/bccr/BCCRtrain.htm</a> The workshops are open to all cavers and those interested in caving and cave rescue – including tasking agencies. These workshops filled very quickly (max 20 participants) so don’t delay in signing up and getting your registration form and fees in.<br>
<br><b>Alberta Speleological Society Annual Bring a Friend Caving Trip </b>– Sat Feb 27, 2010, Rat’s Nest Cave<br> <br>A great reason to support and join the A.S.S.! Try your taste at caving by joining A.S.S. members on tours through Rat’s Nest Cave. For more information refer to <a href="http://www.caving.ab.ca/events">http://www.caving.ab.ca/events</a> Note: trips are usually organized by invitation of A.S.S. members to “friends” so call around and find out which members are A.S.S. members and see if they’re willing to take you on a trip!<br>
<br><b>BC Cave Rescue Seminar </b>– July 2010, Vancouver Island<br>Check the events calendar above for more details as this event unfolds! This is an intense 8 day seminar (day and evening!) covering all aspects of self-rescue and organized rescue in cave environments. It is usually attended by those with a variety of backgrounds including recreational cavers, cave rescue members, SAR volunteers, and other technical rescue agencies. There will likely be a contingent attending from Alberta so feel free to join in!<br>
<br><b>ACRO Training / Practices</b><br>We hope to organize a number of one day training sessions for 2010 in various topics including single rope technique, cave rescue pre-planning, rope rescue rigging, mock drills, etc. If you have suggestions for topics / locations, please contact Cindy Heselton at <a href="mailto:acro_cindy@yahoo.ca">acro_cindy@yahoo.ca</a> <br>
<br>Cindy Heselton<br>Training Director<br>Alberta Cave Rescue Organization<br><a href="http://www.missioncontrol.co.nz/itm/Calendar.aspx?ID=10">http://www.missioncontrol.co.nz/itm/Calendar.aspx?ID=10</a> <br><br><br><b>FROM THE BOARD</b><br>
<br><b>SAR Alberta Annual General Meeting</b> <br>The SAR Alberta Annual General Meeting will be held Saturday May 1, 2010 in Edmonton.<br>The location of the meeting will be announced. <br>Mail out packages will be going out in a couple of month’s time.<br>
<br><b>New SAR Alberta Web Site Coming Soon<br></b>The SAR Alberta website is being totally redesigned. <br>Look for the launch of the new web site in the near future. <br><br><b>Mark Work Warehouse Discount Cards Now Available</b><br>
To receive discount cards for your volunteers, member organizations are required to provide SAR Alberta a membership list and their annual statistics.<br>Send your information to your Regional Director or Deputy to receive cards for your members.<b><br>
<br>Regional Elections</b><br>Excerpt taken from the SAR Alberta Bylaws: <br>5.2.2<br>Each Region shall have an election for their Regional Director and Regional Deputy Director prior to the Annual General meeting at which they are installed.<br>
<br>If your region is without partial or full representation it is the regional organization’s responsibility to elect interested parties to represent them. If these positions are not filled the Board may appoint an individual to fill the vacancies.<br>
<br><b>New Interim Training Coordinator</b><br>The SAR Alberta Executive appointed Norman Mathew as the new SAR Alberta Training Coordinator. This position was vacant and with work being done on the training grant it was important to have this position filled.<br>
<br><br>Mary-Ann Warren <a href="mailto:mwtracks@netzero.net">mwtracks@netzero.net</a> <br>Secretary<br>SAR Alberta<br><br><br><br><b>PINCHER CREEK – SPOT PROBLEM</b><br> <br>Pincher Creek SAR has recently been responded a couple of times<br>
due to back country travellers activating their SPOT. SPOT is<br>a satellite personal tracker, that can be used to send an emergency<br>alert.<br><br>We were unfamiliar with SPOT at the time and so did not know what<br>the limitations and behaviour of the devices are. We are offering<br>
our lessons learned to help other SAR groups.<br><br>The SPOT can only send messages, not received them. It has no<br>way to verify that the message actually has gone out, so the SPOT<br>will automatically resend its message several times. Due to the<br>
irregular satellite coverage of the GlobalStar system, messages might<br>not be received by the satellites with any particular attempt.<br><br>Three kinds of messages can be sent: Check-In-OK, Need-Help, and 911.<br>Each message includes your GPS location (lat and long). Check-In and<br>
Need-Help will send a text or e-mail message that you can set ahead of<br>time to up to 10 people. 911 goes to the nearest 911 centre.<br><br>The Check-In-OK message in sent every 5 minutes for 20 minutes. The<br>Need-Help message is sent every 5 minutes for an hour.<br>
<br>The people set up to be notified may receive the message multiple<br>times. This has caused difficulties for us, before we understood<br>how the SPOT worked, because families were imagining that the button<br>was being pushed several times.<br>
<br>911 will send a message every 5 minutes for as long as the device<br>is left on or until Cancel is pressed.<br><br>If you receive a notification related to SPOT Need-Help messages, we<br>recommend you discuss how the SPOT works with the family, to make sure<br>
they are not misinterpreting the level of urgency.<br><br>If you discuss our experiences with SPOT, you can contact:<br>Janet Jones <<a href="mailto:jljones100@hotmail.com">jljones100@hotmail.com</a>> <br><br><br><b>CALLING ALL TRACKERS</b><br>
<br>Michelle Hebert (UTS Sign-cutter) and Les Brace (Canadian Tracking Technologies) invite you to join us in a tracking exercise.<br><br>We supply the location, scenario to work out, meeting room for briefing and debriefing, help for novice trackers and interested people, snacks and lunch.<br>
You supply tracking stick (some extra available), notepad and pencil, and enthusiasm.<br>All trackers are welcome., <br><br>Purpose: To get the tracking community together for practice and socializing.<br><br>Where: Mulhurst Lutheran Camp, <a href="http://www.mulhurstlutherancamp.ca">www.mulhurstlutherancamp.ca</a> <br>
When: April 17th, 2010, 9:00am to 5:00pm<br><br>Note: (hours for this practice can be claimed as UTS tracking hours)<br><br>If you are interested in coming or have any questions, please contact Michelle.<br><a href="mailto:mhebert@airsurfer.ca">mhebert@airsurfer.ca</a> <br>
780-445-9022 <br><br><br><b>A REMINDER FROM “K” DIVISION</b><br><br>Believe it or not spring is just around the corner. With spring,<br>comes various SAR gatherings and of course volunteer recognition<br>activities. You are reminded that Search and Rescue groups are<br>
encouraged to review their records and submit the names of eligible<br>volunteers.<br><br>It is the responsibility the volunteer’s Search and Rescue team, as<br>well as the volunteer, to ensure that an application is submitted to<br>
request an award. Applications must be submitted to the RCMP “K”<br>Division SAR Coordinator by February 28th, 2010. Incomplete applications<br>will not be considered and will be returned. Completed forms must be<br>sent to the RCMP “K” Division SAR Coordinator via E-MAIL:<br>
<a href="mailto:mike.self@rcmp-grc.gc.ca">mike.self@rcmp-grc.gc.ca</a> OR <a href="mailto:al.fraser@rcmp-grc.gc.ca">al.fraser@rcmp-grc.gc.ca</a> This is<br>applicable to the initial launch as well as through coming years. The<br>
RCMP will not be maintaining a database of Search and Rescue volunteers<br>and automatically generating the awards.<br><br>Cheers......Al Fraser<br><br>Corporal W. A.(Al) Fraser, MOM, KStJ, BA, BEd. <br>Operational Readiness & Response Coordination<br>
Emergency Operations Program Coordinator<br>RCMP "K" Division - Alberta. <br>Work - (780)412-5662<br>Fax - (780)412-5801<br>Pager - (780)418-9138<br>Cell - (780)405-6004<br><br>e-mail: <a href="mailto:Al.Fraser@rcmp-grc.gc.ca">Al.Fraser@rcmp-grc.gc.ca</a> <br>
<br>For year round emergency preparedness information <a href="http://www.GetPrepared.ca">www.GetPrepared.ca</a> <br><br><br><b>A LINK FROM RIC<br></b><br>This Red Deer Advocate article showcases RD SAR equipment:<br><br>
<a href="http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/news/local/Search_and_rescue_team_has_high-tech_equipment_83244117.html">http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/news/local/Search_and_rescue_team_has_high-tech_equipment_83244117.html</a> <br>
<br>Submitted by Ric Henderson <a href="mailto:rhenderson@reddeercounty.ab.ca">rhenderson@reddeercounty.ab.ca</a> <br><br><br><br><b>SARA HAPPENINGS SUBMISSIONS</b> <br><br>Our regular publication date for mailings of SARA Happenings is the middle of each month. Please note that the deadline for material is the 14th of each month. <br>
<br>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. <br>
<br>Please send all material to the editor; Chris Hoare at <a href="mailto:choare@shaw.ca">choare@shaw.ca</a> PLEASE DO include contact information for members to gain further information.<br><br><br>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 unsubscribe on the same page. <br>
<br><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>"Arrival", "Deadly Enterprise" and "The Wildcat's Victory" are available here -- <br><a href="http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/eAuthor.php?Name=Christopher%20Hoare">http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/eAuthor.php?Name=Christopher%20Hoare</a> <br>
<br>See my website at <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/chriskander/">http://www.freewebs.com/chriskander/</a> and blog <a href="http://thewildcatsvictory.wordpress.com">http://thewildcatsvictory.wordpress.com</a><br>