The Coquitlam-based organization kept busy in 2014 on more than rescuing lost hikers in the wilderness.
In September, it hosted SARxSouthwest, the first regional conference for search and rescue groups in 14 years. More than a dozen teams attended the weekend event for workshops and a large-scale demonstration.
And just this month, Coquitlam SAR celebrated a new milestone in their fundraising quest for a new mobile command centre. The current truck - jokingly referred to as the "20-year-old bread truck," is well past its prime. It lacks the oomph to get to rescues in remote areas, particularly under the weight of the team's thousands of pounds of gear, and the interior is cramped at best.
Fundraising for the new truck has now reached 75% of the $407,000 total, with $150,000 from the province's community gaming grant confirmed in mid-December.
Additional funding includes a $30,000 Spirit of Coquitlam grant, $65,000 from the city of Coquitlam and $60,000 in private donations.
And about those rescues? In 2014, the SAR team - which serves an area that is 1,762 sq. km and includes some of the most rugged, inaccessible terrain in southwestern B.C. - responded to 30 tasks and searched for 29 subjects, totalling 2,700 volunteer hours, or more than 112 days of effort.
