Rovers Search and Rescue Inc. is a volunteer Canadian registered charity. The group has been active in the Northeast Avalon area of our Province since 1972. Originally the organization was involved in Search and Rescue (SAR) through the Provincial Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) but now falls under the direction of the Provincial Department of Justice and Public Safety. Today, the team is comprised of 75 volunteers who in 2019, contributed over 13,000 hours of service to the local community.
To address the increasing diversity of calls, the team is continually training and educating its members in basic search skills, advanced search management, as well as technical disciplines of high angle rescue, helicopter rescue, drone response and cold water/ice rescue. In an average year, the team spends 370+ hours delivering SAR prevention messaging, 750+ hours in course refreshers and 400+ hours in technical rescue practice and re-certifications.
In recent years, Rovers are being called to provide more frequent and complex search and rescue responses. This increased activity means greater demand for Rovers Search and Rescue services and equipment.
To address the increasing diversity of calls, our team is continually training and educating our members in advanced search and rescue skills, search management, and technical disciplines like high angle, ice, cold water, helicopter rescues. For the safety of those we rescue and our own volunteers, Rovers must keep our equipment current and in optimal working condition as we meet these growing demands.
We need your help to replace our multi-functioning Cold Water/Ice Rescue vehicle, which has reached the end of its lifespan. This vehicle is deployed in water rescue searches, in many of our general search and rescue missions and used in training. A new Cold Water/ Ice Rescue vehicle will cost $103,000.
Rovers Search and Rescue, as a member of the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC), have partnered with AdventureSmart to deliver the AdventureSmart programs in their local communities. AdventureSmart is a national program dedicated to encouraging Canadians and visitors to Canada to “Get informed and go outdoors”. AdventureSmart combines online and on-site awareness with targeted outreach to try and reduce the number and severity of Search and Rescue Incidents. AdventureSmart believes that outdoor recreationalists will significantly improve their chances of survival should they become hurt or lost by following their three guiding principles of 1) Trip Planning; 2) Training; and 3) Taking the Essentials
NO ONE EVER expects to get into trouble outdoors. But, a turn in the weather, mistake in judgment, unexpected injury, equipment failure, or sudden nightfall can quickly change any recreational outing into a crisis. AdventureSmart has a mobile trip plan app available that can significantly reduce the time it takes for you to be found/rescued by authorities.