New Provincewide Dispatch System for Ground Search and Rescue

Ground search and rescue teams in the province are benefitting from a new single dispatch point that will allow them to respond to search requests faster.

Previously 23 search and rescue teams each had their own dispatch system and contact list to call members individually when needed. The new system, located at the provincial Shubenacadie Radio Operations Centre, can send requests to every member of a team, or several teams, at one time.

“With this provincewide dispatch system, help will arrive faster to lost Nova Scotians,” said Zach Churchill, Minister responsible for Emergency Management Office. “I thank the many ground search and rescue volunteers who gave generously of their time to make this happen.”

The total cost of the project is $69,000. The federal Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund provided $39,000 and the province and ground search and rescue volunteers contributed the rest through in-kind funding.

More than 1,300 volunteer ground search and rescue members respond to about 50 lost person searches each year.

For information on volunteering in your community, visit sarvac.ca/nova-scotia-ground-sar/.