North Peace Search and Rescue
10303 Cree Road V1J 6E5 Fort Saint John, BC, Canada

https://energeticcity.ca//be-cautious-before-stepping-on/

https://www.alaskahighwaynews.ca//snowmobiler-dies-after-a

https://www.therockymountaingoat.com/20//avalanche-myths/

Over the last few weeks our team and others have received a number of inquiries about how SAR teams get location information from the smartphone of a missing su...bject (assuming their phone has reception where they are and they are able to communicate with authorities). As such, we thought it would be of general interest to describe some of the technology that is used on the "back end" of a SAR response in the Province. If you are lost in the backcountry and have cell reception, your first action should, of course, be to call 911 so you can let authorities know you are lost and in need of rescue. When your phone makes an emergency 911 call, it will connect with any cell tower in range, even if it is not from your network provider. (Therefore, a 911 call may go through even if you are not otherwise able to get cell reception where you are.) If you are familiar with your smart phone's capabilities, you may know how to obtain its GPS reading. (On iPhones, for example, the GPS coordinates are displayed at the top of the built in compass app if location services are turned on.) During the 911 call, you can relay these coordinates to the operator, who will then pass that information on to search crews. Authorities and search crews are quickly and easily able to get location information from your cell phone even if you do not know how to find this information yourself. When you call 911, emergency operators are able to use their network technology to get an accurate location fix on your cell's location, without needing any further action or input on your part. Further, when SAR crews are communicating directly with you during a response, we can easily get your cell's location information ourselves. We use technologies that are created by developers who are intimately familiar with the realities of backcountry SAR. They allow SAR personnel to instantly get your GPS information from your phone by the simple exchange of txt messages and the click of a link - no app, download, or other action is required on your part. At the fringes of cell reception, the exchange of txt messages is almost always more reliable than other network connections, meaning SAR crews are still able to get your coordinates when data is spotty and calls get dropped. It doesn't get much easier to use than this. Importantly, both of these methods not only provide emergency personnel with your GPS coordinates, they also return and map an estimate of that coordinate's error radius (since you're never going to get pinpoint accuracy based on a cell phone's GPS, especially in mountainous terrain). We have evaluated other systems from private companies, such as "What Three Words", that require the download/installation of an app and the use of a proprietary location system that has no widespread adoption. Given the technology described above - readily available to SAR crews in the Province and about as easily accessible as we can get - we do not see a place for them in the BC search and rescue community and do not advocate their use.

This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in gaining some avalanche awareness. https://register.gotowebinar.com/regist/2333994217706257935

When you are in need of help, always call 911. The fear of being charged for search and rescue service should never prevent you from getting the help you need, ...which is why #BCSAR groups never charge for service. Read more on why we don't believe in charge for service here http://ow.ly/VFjN50CPwAz. See more

https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-into-dangerous-/

Tasked this morning by the RCMP to search for an overdue hunter in the Halfway River area.

This past weekend three of our team members we're successful in completing the Rope Rescue Technician I evaluation in Prince George. Congratulations guys!

NPSAR will be our training in the area of 100th Street and 110th Ave tonight. We are working on honing our Urban Search skills. If you see our blue jackets, don’t worry...we are just making sure we are ready. @fortstjohn @EnergeticCity #yxj

This weekend 3 NPSAR members attended the Rope Rescue Tech 2 evaluation weekend and made the team proud by passing! 11 other members took thier Wilderness First Aid course this weekend so they can care for themselves, their teammate & their subjects when in the field. #BCSAR

NPSAR Rope Tech 1 and 2 candidates were out practicing to keep our skills sharpe & keep our communities safe. NPSAR does Ground Search & some of the Technical disciplines (Rope, Swiftwater, Ice, Avalanche) and has to practice them all to stay on top of our skills. @BCSARAssoc

NPSAR called out for Mutual Aid to the Toad River area for 2 hunters. 5 members on route....but don’t worry, we still have people in the North Peace to respond to any other call that comes in. #UnpaidProfessionals #BCSAR

NPSAR called out tonight for 2 overdue fisherman near Hudson’s Hope. Stood down on route. 24th call of the year and 16 members attending. #UnpaidProfessionals @fortstjohn @NorthRCMP

https://www.energeticcity.ca//council-to-look-at-helping/

Yesterday morning North Peace SAR was tasked out by FSJ RCMP to assist with an overturned boat on Charlie Lake. #BCSAR

This weekend three of our rope team members are participating in the Rope Rescue Technician II instructional weekend in Prince George with rope rescue members from all over Northern BC. They'll be heading back in a month to take the evaluation weekend. #BCSAR

Consider your decisions this wkd. Consider your abilities this wkd. Consider your skills this wkd.... Consider your safety this wkd. Consider our BC SAR volunteers. https://www.adventuresmart.ca/tripplanning/planning.htm

https://www.alaskahighwaynews.ca/missing-woman-found-1.2417

In June, NPSAR #UnpaidProfessionals... Responded to 3 Operational Tasks for search and/or rescue in the @fortstjohn area, Completed 9 exercises including a 3-day Swiftwater Technician course while practicing COVID-19 precautions &... Gave 800+ hours of service to their community!

https://www.alaskahighwaynews.ca//avalanche-victim-found-1