Pre-Requisites
Personal Gear / Uniforms
Minimum Commitment
All Alberta SAR teams are dedicated to ensuring safety and professionalism in their operations. To join these volunteer search and rescue teams, every candidate must meet the following SAR training requirements:
- Be 18+ years of age
- Hold a Standard First Aid & CPR/AED certification from a provider of your choice
- Complete a criminal record & vulnerable persons sector check
- Be a team player and volunteer oriented
- Be willing to attend regular training, meetings, and searches
- Enjoy the outdoors and being active
Becoming part of a SAR team is not only meaningful and altruistic, but it also connects you with like-minded individuals. However, it does come with its risks!
Once fully certified, active members receive worker's compensation and liability coverage from their team at no cost.
Alberta SAR teams are made up of people from diverse backgrounds, and MV SAR welcomes anyone who has the passion and determination to contribute to our cause.
Minimum Commitment
Personal Gear / Uniforms
Minimum Commitment
To remain an active member of Alberta SAR teams, there is a minimum commitment of 40 hours annually.
Most members easily exceed this requirement by engaging in various activities such as SAR training, fundraising, meetings, and active search missions.
We expect all members to attend monthly meetings and training sessions as often as possible; additional training when offered is highly encouraged.
Monthly meetings may be the less exciting aspect, where we cover budget and financials, fundraising, inventory, equipment and shop maintenance, as well as discuss previous or upcoming training sessions and searches.
Remember that monthly field training requires your physical presence, as it takes place out in the field!
Personal Gear / Uniforms
Personal Gear / Uniforms
Personal Gear / Uniforms
Mountain View SAR typically requests a small, refundable uniform deposit.
As a new volunteer search and rescue member, you are expected to supply your own backpack (25-35 litre) along with the 10 outdoor essentials.
Each Alberta SAR team provides much of its hard essentials, such as helmets, radios, drones, and specialized equipment.
We don’t expect our new members to be 100% fully equipped upon recruitment and actually discourage spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on gear.
Alberta SAR teams occasionally host swap meets, and there are also opportunities for Pro Deals once you become a member. This allows you to gradually acquire items and equipment over time, creating a personalized pack that aligns with your individual preferences and meets the SAR training requirements.
Basic Training
Ongoing Member Training
Personal Gear / Uniforms
All MITs are required to take ICS 100 (Incident Command Systems level 1), which is available online after recruitment, and successfully complete the SAR Basics program. This is essential to meet the Canadian core competency standards for ground search and rescue (GSAR) operations, allowing them to become operational SAR responders with Alberta SAR teams.
SAR Basics typically takes place over three weekends, totaling 60+ hours, and is provided by member teams. This training program covers various SAR training requirements, including (but not limited to) the following areas:
- Map, compass & GPS navigation
- Introduction to tracking
- Basic casualty treatment & transport
- Search types & tactics
- Evidence handling
- 24-hour survival
- Radio procedure
- Introduction to incident command systems
- Essential fire lighting methods
- Back-country shelter construction
- Hazards and risk management
These skills are crucial for anyone looking to volunteer in search and rescue, ensuring they are prepared to handle the challenges of real-life operations.
Ongoing Member Training
Ongoing Member Training
Ongoing Member Training
Training commitments for maintaining competency among Alberta SAR teams will vary from team to team.
Most teams conduct general SAR training requirements twice a month, primarily on evenings and weekends, while many of the more specialized teams will train weekly. These specialized skills are generally tailored to the demands of regional terrain and topography.
Mountain View SAR hosts Zoom or in-person monthly meetings at our SAR hall in Water Valley, typically every 2nd Wednesday of each month, alongside field training every 3rd Saturday of the month.
To advance within the team as a team lead or team manager, courses such as Basic Emergency Management, ICS 200 & 300, and Intermediate and Advanced Wilderness First Aid are required as prerequisites, along with necessary time commitments.
Additionally, there are many more specialized field- and classroom-based training opportunities offered throughout Alberta all year round, depending mostly on individual motivations and ambitions for volunteer search and rescue.
Fundraising & Events
Ongoing Member Training
Ongoing Member Training
SAR Alberta teams operate as a non-profit organization, which means we receive little to no government funding.
To support our operations, Alberta SAR teams like MV SAR frequently organize and participate in fundraising events, including Casinos and Fuel Good Days.
We also engage in exposure events throughout the year, such as seasonal parades and trade shows.
All funds raised go directly towards maintaining our operations—this includes attending search missions, acquiring proper and updated equipment, and ensuring that we meet SAR training requirements.
This training is essential for our volunteer search and rescue members, enabling them to be competent in various environments, terrains, weather conditions, and emergency scenarios.
Fundraising and exposure efforts are ongoing side quests for our dedicated teams.
Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
On October 6, 2017, Search and Rescue Alberta adopted a code of conduct to establish and uphold an ethical standard for operations within our organization, which is crucial for all Alberta SAR teams.
This code of conduct specifically applies to Search and Rescue Alberta, but every member group is encouraged to review this document and consider adopting it for their individual teams, particularly in light of SAR training requirements.
To ensure transparency with all our stakeholders, this document is being posted publicly.
If you believe there has been a breach of Search and Rescue Alberta’s code of conduct, please report your concerns to:
Pro Deals
Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
ProDeals are available to volunteer search and rescue responders in Alberta SAR teams.
These exclusive deals include discounted rates on clothing and gear from various stores and individual companies.
Once you meet the SAR training requirements and become a member of our team, you will gain access to these fantastic deals.
Tax Credit
Code of Conduct
Tax Credit
The new $6000 SARVAC tax credit represents federal recognition of the important role that Alberta SAR teams and volunteer search and rescue volunteers play in enhancing the security and safety of citizens and visitors to our country.
This tax credit is a welcome benefit for GSAR volunteers who dedicate their personal time, effort, and equipment to finding lost persons in their communities and out in the backcountry, as well as assisting those in distress.
To qualify for the tax credit, the Government of Canada requires volunteers to meet specific SAR training requirements and contribute 200 hours, divided between Type 1 and Type 2 hours:
Type 1 hours: Training & Searches
Type 2 hours: Everything else (admin, fundraising, meetings, etc.)