Whereas Search and Rescue volunteers provide valuable service in support of police forces, the BC Ambulance Service, the Coroners Service, and local governments in the province, and the costs associated with providing the necessary training, equipment and facilities is increasing; And whereas Search and Rescue groups rely on grants and other time consuming, short term and unpredictable funding sources which do not provide financial security or allow long term strategic operational planning: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM petition the Province of BC to implement a consistent and sustainable funding model for Search and Rescue groups to allow them to better provide efficient and effective search and rescue operations.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General In January of 2016, the Province provided a one-time 10 million grant to BC Search and Rescue Association BCSARA to support search and rescue SAR teams across the province; BCSARA has used this funding to pilot its fund disbursement model. The 10 million grant was divided and dispersed over two years. In March 2017, an additional 5 million was provided to BCSARA to support SAR in B.C. These additional funds provide a third, and currently final, year of this type of grant funding for BCSARA and SAR groups in province. In February 2018, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General approved, in principle, for staff to develop, for consideration, a framework for a government-administered fund. Development of this model would include examination of equitable allocation for a secure funding stream. A consultant has been hired and is working with Emergency Management BC and BCSARA staff to table recommendations for the Ministers consideration.