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PREVENTION

GSAR volunteer workshop in Toronto:
a great success

By Kim Fauteux, NSS

Over 150 people gathered in Toronto on October 2-4, 2009, for the National Search and Rescue Secretariat’s (NSS) Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) volunteer workshop. The attendees were volunteers eager to better their training skills, as well as GSAR Council of Canada representatives and participants.

The focus of the workshop was the nationalization of AdventureSmart, which brought volunteers from every province and territory in the country together to become AdventureSmart trainers. With the assistance of the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC), volunteers who had become Master Trainers, and the AdventureSmart team, the NSS was able to put together this “train-the-trainer” initiative.

Developed by the British Columbia Provincial Emergency Program, with the assistance of the NSS, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the British Columbia SAR Association, AdventureSmart combines online and on-site awareness with targeted outreach. The outreach component utilizes existing best practice programs, such as the RCMP’s Hug-a-Tree and Survive (for children age 5-11), and the Snow Safety Education Program. Other programs were also developed to meet audience needs like Survive Outside (older teens and adults). “SARVAC trainers were able to train others to increase capacity in communities across Canada for effective outreach”, explained Jacqui Bannach, Senior Analyst at the NSS.

Training Sessions

On October 3rd, four sessions were delivered and participants were trained on the programs that they will be promoting. They were also provided with tips and techniques for best practices in audience engagement, whether talking to kids or adults. As well, the volunteers were given an overview of the National Prevention Strategy, and the critical role they play in meeting the NSS’ prevention objective was highlighted.

“The trainers were able to use reallife experiences to illustrate the programs and to make it relevant to their audiences”, added Jacqui Bannach. “We provided them with all the tools necessary to go out and make a difference immediately.” Along with the training, the volunteers were given PowerPoint presentations, manuals and visual aids to help them deliver their own training sessions.

Town Hall

The Town Hall moderators, Carole Smith, Don Lapierre and Harry Blackmore, during the Town Hall. Photo Credit: Manon Langlois

On October 4th, the attendees were invited to a Town Hall that discussed “Volunteer Sustainability”. Don Lapierre, a senior analyst from Volunteer Canada, was there to talk about similar challenges facing the voluntary sector and offer suggestions to the SAR community. There was also a questions and answers session, which was specific to search and rescue. Volunteers were able to share ideas and talk about opportunities. Don Lapierre, Harry Blackmore of SARVAC, and Carole Smith from the NSS, served as moderators during the Town Hall.

Overall, the workshop was a great success and feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The attendees commented on their appreciation of the focused approach of the event and on seeing tangible outcomes.

If you want to know more about the AdventureSmart programs or SARVAC, you can visit the following Web sites: www.adventuresmart.ca; www.sarvac.ca. If you are interested in receiving one of the abovementioned program sessions at your school or in your community, please send an e-mail to teamcoordinator@adventuresmart.ca.

Kim Fauteux is a Communications Officer at the National Search and Rescue Secretariat, and is also the editor of SARSCENE magazine.

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