The head of Princeton Ground Search and Rescue is applauding last week’s announcement by the provincial government to provide GSAR groups across the province with $18.6 million over the next three years.
“It’s great news,” said Paul Fyfe. “It’s going to help all the SARS teams in B.C. and it will save us here the stress of having to apply for grants for our operational money.”
Fyfe said the organization is currently working on a plan to construct a new building.
“We are hoping to build…this year,” he said, adding talks with Princeton town council have already commenced.
Presently Princeton GSAR occupies a municipally-owned property near the airport rent free.
“We are crowded in the building we are in,” said Fyfe. If every member attends a meeting or training session “it’s almost standing room only.”
Moreover there isn’t enough room to store all the group’s equipment during the winter months, so before the team can respond to a call vehicles must be shovelled out and de-iced.
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“If we can put the vehicles all under one roof in the winter it will increase our response time,” he said.
While grant applications may have to be made in order to complete the project, Fyfe said some of the money coming from the provincial announcement could be used to offset costs.
While there is no estimate yet on how much each group will get, Fyfe said he believes it will be approximate to the amount Princeton received annually from the previous Liberal government – about $35,000 per year.
Some of that money will be earmarked for training, he added.
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Princeton GSAR members volunteer not only their time and expertise, they pay out of pocket to belong to the group.
“We have a team uniform but everything else like hiking boots, pants and day packs is all on the members.”
The $18.6 million represent the single largest provincial GSAR investment in B.C.’s history – a 24 per cent increase from $5 million per year in supplemental funding announced in 2016.
The province’s 2,500 registered search and rescue volunteers provide a vital public safety service for citizens and visitors, responding to more than 1,600 incidents annually.
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