[SARA-Members] Training Reminders...Grant Courses

[P. OLMSTEAD]

Happy Holidays to all of you.  Pray for Safety and Snow - LOTS of snow.

I wanted to let you know that the grant submission is in the hands of 
the EMA and we are playing catch up on a few items which has slowed it down.

A Hugh Reminder - when the grants are approved you will be notified and 
a list will be posted. (SAR Web site).
You must then contact your local Mun Dist Rep and then apply thru them 
for the Approved Courses that your group has been granted. 
Please apply only for the course on the list next to your group.  There 
was a mix up last year in this process and we are still paying for it as 
we speak.

The Training Committee will be asking your groups to supply us with 
information regarding the status of your grant course 06/07.  We need a 
status report as to if they are completed and or if they are scheduled. 
You have until March 31 to have appropriate reports submitted.

Presently the Training Committee consists of the following

Shelly -  Olds SAR
Louise - Brazeau SAR
Lisa - Whitecourt SAR
Cindy - Calgary SAR
Fred - Lethbridge SAR
Paul OLMSTEAD - Could be anywhere?

We have No rep in the North East - any volunteers......it is imperative 
that we stay in touch with each other.

Changes are in the air -all good though.

We are starting to look seriously at the creation of  Provincial SAR 
Training Material specific to Alberta and based on the National overview 
or criteria.  This is information that has been collected and defined by 
all the Provinces over the last several years and now all Provinces and 
Territories are starting to look at specific training material.

This will involve a Basic SAR Course, Advanced SAR course,  SAR Managers 
Course and maybe Team Leader or a Level Three course.
All will have their own books and material, instructor qualifications 
and re-certifications. 
If we are lucky the Province and Grants will pay for this and we will 
benefit and of course reduce the STRESS we all feel based on mixed 
messages, inconsistent training material and instructors  with no 
specific criteria.

 I can hear you all ready - "well we teach this and we teach that, and 
we have specific needs and we ....."

Thru allot of hard work it will all be addressed.   As a Prov SAR 
Association if we are to continue to develop we have to do just that.

As a foot note I am involved in this process as we speak - writing and 
defining a set of standards for another jurisdiction based on the 
National Criteria - it is possible and we will all benefit.
If you are interested in this the following link will give you this 
information as an OUTLINE - Draft of  where we might start.

http://www.nss.gc.ca/site/groundSAR/volunteerCriteria_e.asp

Happy Holidays and I invite any comments etc.

Thanks

Paul
Training Committee







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