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| Jean Murray opens the Games at SARSCENE 2004. |
The
2004 SARSCENE Games were held on a sunny autumn day, Wednesday,
October 13 at Centenary Park in Calgary, Alberta. Situated on St. Patrick's
Island in the Bow River, with the Calgary skyline as a backdrop, this
urban park offered a mix of forest, brush, and rocky shoreline for this
year's competition.
The Challenge
The 2004 Champions
Charlottetown 2005
Although there were no international entrants this year, and some teams had to withdraw due to actual SAR missions, a good cross-section of Canadian teams took part from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The judging staff included SAR specialists from:
The Amateur Radio Emergency Service of Calgary provided seamless communications as well as the games command post, and St. John Ambulance was on standby for First Aid. As always, the Games would not have been a success without the hard work of staff and volunteers who set up the stations in the pre-dawn hours, and cleared the site at the end of a long day.
The four-person teams were assessed on their performance through six stations:
Emergency
Scene Management & Medical
A simulated boating accident with casualties was set up on the shore of
the Bow River. Teams had to assess the situation, negotiate hazards, determine
the number of casualties, and administer First Aid. They then had to send
a radio message to the base, reporting on the situation and recommending
how best to extract the casualties.
Visual
Search Effectiveness (Detection)
Accompanied by a judge, each team member had to scan the terrain on either
side of a 400-metre long search path, identifying objects of interest
in their visual sweep. Clothing, personal effects and mannequins were
planted along the course. The competitors could set their own pace to
complete their search, but scoring was based on the most items detected
in the shortest time.
Search
Management
Teams were presented with an urban search scenario, involving a two-year
old girl reported missing from her home. Using the available facts, map,
aerial photo, and list of search resources, teams had to organize the
initial search effort. Points were given for leadership, tactics, allocation
of resources, use and interpretation of maps and documentation.
Evidence
Search
Competitors were briefed on a scenario of a missing teenager, and asked
to search a section of the park marked by a police tape cordon. The thick
brush and authentic urban character of the park presented a challenging
task for teams. Points were awarded for search effectiveness, technique
and the identification and management of evidence.
Navigation
Back-to-basics: Competitors had to successfully negotiate a navigation
course, and Calgary's 17°E declination, using only compass bearings
and distances. At the end of each leg, a sign indicated the next bearing
and distance to be navigated. Letters were also collected at each point,
and on completing the course teams had to spell the resulting word ("RESCUE").
Points were awarded on successful completion of the course in the shortest
time.
Skills
Relay
Four mini-stations challenged team members on topographic map skills;
general knowledge questions; knot-tying (some blindfolded and single-handed);
and an emergency shelter using a tarp and ropes (with one arm). Some creative
approaches and out-of-the-box thinking were observed!
First place: Toronto
HUSAR - "Centre of the Universe", Ontario
Second place: Foothills SAR,
Alberta
Third place: Exploits
SAR, Newfoundland and Labrador
(also the 2004 NL Provincial Champions)
The competition was intense yet friendly. Teams gave enthusiastic and professional performances, with a narrow point spread between competitors. This year's roster included two returning SARSCENE Games Champions: Foothills SAR from Turner Valley, Alberta (2001, 2002) and Toronto HUSAR's Centre of the Universe (2003).
This year, the SARSCENE Games also featured a special award for the best performance in the Medical Event sponsored by Rocky Mountain Adventure Medicine, Inc., and won by Toronto's HUSAR team. They received a medical kit and a set of SAMTM splints.
In addition to taking home the Wm. Slaughter SARSCENE Games Cup for the year, the top-ranked team also received a special-edition lifejacket for each member. Generously donated by Nautilus by Protexion, these custom-fitted jackets are decorated with, "SARSCENE 2004 Champions."
Thank-you to all the teams and judges who supported the 2004 SARSCENE Games, particularly for your energy and enthusiasm; your dedication of time and resources; and your willingness to share your SAR skills and knowledge with one another.
Who will take the Slaughter Cup home in 2005? Stay tuned for next year's event in Charlottetown, PEI. The competition for SAR dogs and handlers is scheduled to return next year. Check the SARSCENE 2005 website for more information as October 2005 approaches.
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