Our Team

Rovers SAR is comprised of approximately 75 highly skilled, dedicated professional volunteers who are passionate about Search and Rescue. Rovers SAR volunteers are activated by police authorities to search for lost and missing persons and/or evidence. Search and rescue incidents are becoming increasingly more frequent and complex as increasing numbers of individuals are taking advantage of what the outdoors has to offer, use of recreational trails and recreational vehicles is on the increase, and combined with a reliance on technology, individuals are pushing deeper and further in the outdoors than ever before. There has also been a noticeable increase in searches for children and vulnerable persons. A vulnerable person is defined as a person who due to medical, cognitive, mental health or physical condition may exhibit patterns of behavior that may pose a danger to that person. Examples of vulnerable persons may include persons with autism, dementia, acquired brain injury, and cerebral palsy. These conditions may cause a person to exhibit atypical behaviors such as wandering, physical instability, inability to communicate, aggression, irrational fear, over-sensitivity to sensory stimulus (sounds, lights, touch).

The Rovers GSAR team has a very positive image in the community and is supported by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Town of Paradise, just to name a few.

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 water rescue and ice rescue. In an average year, the team spends 500 hours training new recruits, 750 hours in course refreshers and 400 hours in technical rescue practice and recertifications.

The Rovers also frequently partner with the Newfoundland and Labrador Search and Rescue Association, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and Royal Canadian Mounted Police to provide training in search and rescue, map/GPS and outdoor survival. This sharing of skills and experiences is a true example of volunteer and professional cooperation and strengthens the relationship between the organizations. Their confidence in our training standards and search and rescue knowledge is reflected in their requests to the Rovers to educate their members and staff.

The Rovers also spend significant time in educating the public on how to safely enjoy recreational activities through the AdventureSmart program. In 2019, the Rovers provided over 370 volunteer hours to the community in the delivery of prevention education to over 1500 individuals, nearly 80% of these hours were attributed to delivering the programs to youth aged 5 to 12 years of age.

The Rovers participate in many Search and Rescue activities, including:

• • Ground Search and Rescue operations in the Northeast Avalon Region
  • Emergency Response
  • Helicopter Rescue
  • Ice Rescue
  • Inland Water Rescue
  • Rescue Training Exercises

In addition to the many Search and Rescue activities, Rovers perform many community activities, including:

• • Security for area wide functions
  • Educational Programs
  • Hug-A-Tree (AdventureSmart)
  • Survive Outside (AdventureSmart)