September 18, 2009
Ninth Annual Manitoba Search And Rescue Exercise Scheduled For Spruce Woods Park
– – –Province's Office of the Fire Commissioner Stages Annual Event for Volunteers, Response Agencies
Manitoba’s Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) advises that search and rescue skills will be put to the test in a series of emergency simulations at the ninth annual search and rescue exercise tomorrow, Sept. 19, in the Spruce Woods Provincial Park.
The OFC has organized and will oversee a series of competition-based activities designed to challenge search and rescue professionals and volunteers, while demonstrating the importance of team work.
Teams will rotate through various stations using search and rescue techniques such as navigation, map interpretation, low-angle rope rescues, patient packaging, first aid, survival skills, search management and evidence handling. Agencies scheduled to participate include the provincial Volunteer Search and Rescue Network, Winnipeg Police Service, RCMP, Civil Air Search and Rescue, the Department of National Defence, Parks Canada, the provincial K-9 search and rescue team, Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization and the OFC.
The provincial Volunteer Search and Rescue Network is comprised of volunteers from the Civil Air Search and Rescue Network, 30 regional volunteer ground search and rescue teams, as well as volunteer members of the provincial Urban Search and Rescue Network and K-9 team.
This year’s provincial exercise is partially funded under the New Initiatives Fund which is made available to the province through the National Search and Rescue Secretariat and is sponsored by the Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner.
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