HWY55N Search & Rescue
Executive
President, Glenda Trach
Vice President, Doug McLaughlin
Secretary, Dave Werrett
Treasurer, Peter Daniels
HWY 55N Search and Rescue are volunteer members from communities north of Highway 55 which includes Smeaton, Meath Park, & Candle Lake.
HWY55N SAR Trailer consists of group equipment not normally carried by an individual on searches and a radio repeater with tower (taken to search sites). Community in Bloom provided a well appreciated donation in 2024 to replace outdated equipment.
New members received their Ground SAR training on the weekend Nov 16th, 2024. Existing Trained members received the next level of certification on that same weekend of training.
The Chapter falls under the umbrella of the Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers (SARSAV). SARSAV is comprised of member chapters of search and rescue professionals (paid and not paid) who volunteer their time for training, search missions, preventative information and public awareness.
The People
The volunteers, include men and women, who are willing to put in scores of hours of training, practice and actual searches for lost people.
The volunteers pay for their own equipment, pay for their own courses. They drop their work or family obligations, grab their kits & clothing and join in, at a few minutes notice, to conducted searches. Donations are welcomed to help offset these costs
The Organization
Like many things in this world Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers was born out of tragedy, in 1994 a young Ashley Krestianson lost her way and life south of Tisdale.
The massive search spawned the development activity in communities with the goal of providing volunteers to assist the RCMP should such an incident happen again. The RCMP in turn realized they would need to have trained people to help with such a search. The RCMP and representatives from the communities met and SARSAV became an entity.
SARSAV became the umbrella to member chapters (community oriented) and under the direction of the RCMP started getting trained. The training standards have grown to be part of the National umbrella for Canada and continue to grow and be monitored. The high quality of training and organization has created "Search and Rescue Professionals" both paid and unpaid.
The evolution of SARSAV continues, and the relationship with the RCMP in search and rescue has become more of a partnership. SARSAV, the RCMP, along with new partners such as the Ministry of Justice go on making Search and Rescue in Saskatchewan a model that is envied.
