Coquitlam Search and Rescue has come along way since it formed in 1972 after a 15-year-old boy fell to his death on the rugged terrain of Burke Mountain. In those early days, Coquitlam RCMP and North Shore Rescue conducted searches because there was no local team.
Today, a group of 45 well-equipped and -trained volunteers is on hand to provide 30 to 40 search and rescue operations in the mountains around the Tri-Cities each year as well as supplying mutual aid to other jurisdictions needing help and supporting the police in urban searches.
And on the weekend, the team revealed an important milestone: a state-of the art mobile command centre that will be used for future searches, a project that took four years to fundraise for and complete.
Coquitlam SAR is one of those organizations that many people take for granted — unless they or a loved one go missing. Then they become an important lifeline.
But if it wasn't for the early SAR members, whose foresight created the team and ensured it was equipped, the trails around this region would be even more dangerous than they already are for people who are unprepared.
In the early days, it was Coquitlam's parks and recreation director, Don Cunnings, who realized that an emergency response team was needed to rescue individuals who became lost in the mountains. His vision, and that of many of the early volunteers and today's SAR members, have ensured that help is at hand when a hiker goes missing.
But it hasn't been easy. Coquitlam SAR and other groups belonging to the BC Search and Rescue Association have long struggled to obtain funding necessary for equipment and training. Although the province funds these groups, it often comes down to individual communities to ensure equipment is replaced and updated materials are provided.
In January, the province announced it would contribute $10 million in one-time funding for training, administrative support and equipment for ground search and rescue volunteers.
In the meantime, Coquitlam Search and Rescue was able to raise the nearly half a million dollars necessary to build the new mobile command centre, with the support of several local businesses, cities and service clubs.
As with the many successful searches SAR conducts every year, there's no other way to say it; Thanks for a job well done.
