SEASAR looking for home

Southeastern Alberta Search and Rescue (SEASAR) is looking for a permanent facility to be able to meet its full potential as a community volunteer group that’s served the Medicine Hat for a quarter-century.

While SEASAR president Del Hope said its current facility at an airport maintenance building was workable, “it’s almost like I’m sleeping on someone’s sofa.”

The message came by way of the city’s Public Services Committee meeting on Monday.

What SEASAR is asking from the city is either the ability to access a municipal building that can provide year-round storage for its vehicles and be a base of operations or funding to findone, Hope petitioned to the committee.

“For us, SEASAR is a self-contained team that can bring significant resources to the region,” he said. “Every day, every hour, every year, we have provided for the last 25 years a full and 365, 24/7 coverage for search and rescue in this city and surrounding areas.”  

Hope highlighted the organization does not receive compensation from the Medicine Hat police during callouts for searches and only receives mileage reimbursements from RCMP.

But the organization does provide training for its volunteers whohave advanced search and rescue skills and the equipment to utilize those skills on land, water and in the air with drones, said Hope.

“These people are professionally trained and trained for what they do,” said Hope.

It also provides specific training when it comes to evidence collection in furtherance of a police investigation.

Hope also used the example of a recent search for a Lethbridge woman missing on the South Saskatchewan River to illustrate the community service offered by volunteers as well as the assistance SEASAR provided during the Jasper fires in support of evacuations.

SEASAR director Mark Keller told the committee the organization might not toot its own horn but it’s an active in supporting the community and its already running above its annual average of volunteer hours in 2024.

“For 25 years, this group of volunteers have been working to support the region and the city,” said Keller. He later added, “we’re looking at where we’re at today and where we need to be and the concept of how we can we sustain and even grow our inter-relationships with the city.”

Committee chair, Coun. Ramona Robins, indicated the request would be considered as part of this year’s budget deliberations.