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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S DESK
Hello everyone! Something innovative is being added to your search and rescue (SAR) magazine: the new column “From the Executive Director’s Desk” will be a regular feature in the magazine. It will feature information related to the NSS, the work that we do, and activities and initiatives underway of value to you and the SAR community. Northern SAR As most of you know, the North is taking on greater significance with the Canadian government due to increasing environmental awareness and concerns regarding the impact of climate change, coupled with potential economic growth. The management of changes in the North would likely require a very complex and inter-related series of decisions, which include SAR. How would the SAR system have to adapt in order to respond to the growing SAR-related risks of human activities and to mitigate or overcome the challenges already noted in the current SAR system? Granted, the SAR system cannot be all things to all people, but should it be based on a traditional subsistence-living lifestyle, or on an expanding industrial and marine-based economy? I believe that Canada has distinct SAR obligations with respect to its citizens and those who travel through Canadian air space and sails its waters. However, should we be doing things differently to fulfill these commitments? How should they be discharged in the future? The federal government should decide what role it will play in the grand scheme of northern development (and more specifically in SAR) vis-à-vis the industry and the territorial governments. We should explore responsibilities and partnerships, and look at the level of resources in which we are ready to invest. Prevention Prevention, or stopping something before it occurs, is key to reducing both the frequency and severity of SAR incidents. The objective of SAR prevention is to educate individuals and organizations on the assessment of risks and the importance of acquiring and using the knowledge, skills and equipment needed to minimize injury and loss of life. We strongly believe that prevention activities extend beyond education and include effective regulation and enforcement, as well as innovation in technology, which may help reduce risks. First and foremost, personal responsibility is essential, and that necessitates proper trip planning. Assessing risks, advance preparation, communicating your intent, knowing your capabilities and limitations, as well as that of your equipment, could save your life. We are working on a National Prevention Strategy that will utilize broad public awareness and targeted outreach to reach key audiences. A core component will be the nationalization of a successful New SAR Initiatives Fund project, AdventureSmart, from British Columbia. This umbrella program uses online and onsite awareness to focus on three key messages – trip planning (JUDGEMENT), training (KNOWLEDGE) and the ten essentials (EQUIPMENT), as well as targeted outreach to change behaviour. Leveraging the expertise of Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) members, and with the support of our federal and provincial/territorial SAR partners, we hope to bring AdventureSmart’s message “Get Informed and Go Outdoors” to recreationalists across Canada. In the next edition of SARSCENE, I’ll be telling you about one of the NSS’ new initiatives, the SAR Knowledge Management System. This new system will be a tool for the collection and free exchange of information and data applicable to SAR prevention and response. It will facilitate the analysis of SAR incident data, and the management of SAR knowledge in an open, standards-based, and flexible system architecture. I welcome your comments and suggestions. If you would like to share them with me, please e-mail me at sarscenemag@nss-snrs.gc.ca.
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