Members of COSAR on Okanagan Lake.

Image Credit: cosar.ca

KELOWNA - The Central Okanagan Search and Rescue Society is looking for new members to join their team! The team is composed entirely of volunteers, and provides search and rescue services to the Central Okanagan Regional District, including Kelowna and West Kelowna.

COSAR attends to an average of 50 tasks per year, ranging from medical rescues in the backcountry to searching for missing persons, as well as providing assistance during civil emergencies. The team works in cooperation with the RCMP, BC Ambulance Service, local fire departments and other agencies, and is one of approximately 80 SAR groups in BC.

Team composition is incredibly diverse, and individuals from all walks of life and backgrounds are welcome. Being a SAR volunteer, however, requires an enormous time commitment which cannot be underestimated. Team members train weekly (Thursday nights), and also commit to one weekend per month. On top of this, members participate in community events, fundraising, and maintenance activities. The team is on-call 24/7, 365 days of the year, ready to jump into action at a moment’s notice.

Although joining a volunteer SAR team requires a lot of dedication, it is also an incredibly rewarding experience. The reality is that every COSAR member is instrumental in saving lives.
COSAR is looking for interested candidates who have time available to commit to the team, are dedicated to long-term learning, possess backcountry knowledge, are physically fit, and have a desire to work in a team environment. Joining COSAR means bringing forth a strong commitment to service. If you feel that you are a good candidate with a can-do attitude, and most of all want to give back to the community, please submit an application.

New members will complete the provincial Ground Search and Rescue course, which covers topics such as navigation, survival, communications and search methods. The basics of rope rescue, tracking, helicopter safety and avalanche orientation are also introduced.

Prospective members are invited to attend an information session in room H-115 at the KLO campus of Okanagan College in Kelowna on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.

Additional details and an application form can be found on the COSAR website.

Interested candidates can also find the latest updates on COSAR’s Facebook page. The team is accepting applications until Nov. 30, 2016.

News from © iNFOnews, 2016