Powell River Search and Rescue (PRSAR) now has a permanent home.
City of Powell River council unanimously agreed recently to transfer a city-owned property in Cranberry to the organization for a nominal sum of $1. The volunteer search organization, which was has been in operation for more than 30 years, will soon move into its new centre of operations.
Laurence Edwards, PRSAR president, said the permanent facility will help the group expand its abilities.
“With well-trained and more professional volunteers, we will be able to assist other agencies and the community in the event of any emergency issues,” said Edwards.
Ryan Thoms, regional emergency program coordinator for the Powell River Regional District said,“I believe this a very positive development that will lead to improved public safety.”
The property, located at 6791 Drake Street, sits next to the Cranberry Seniors’ Centre and has seen many uses over the years—first as a fire hall in the 1950s, then as a library and most recently as a childcare centre.
“It’s been empty for a considerable length of time, probably about six years,” said Edwards. “This building is a substantial piece for us.”
Demand on local volunteer searchers has been steadily increasing each year as more people head out into Powell River’s backcountry and the RCMP task them with more searches within the region.
Since April 2012, when the organization was reformed as a non-profit society, it has been involved with 23 larger search operations, said Edwards.
The group receives a budget from the regional emergency program, funded by the regional district and the city, but relies heavily on community fundraising to purchase equipment and pay for training volunteers.
“Powell River Search and Rescue is a group of dedicated volunteers that provide an invaluable service to the region,” said Mayor Dave Formosa in a statement announcing council’s support. “We are pleased to provide this facility for their training and operations centre.”Recently PRSAR raised enough money through community support to purchase a second-hand Chevrolet crew cab pickup truck with an eight-foot box to serve as a first response vehicle.
“The new truck will be outfitted in a way that can haul people, like an ambulance” said PRSAR vice-president Andy Evans in a video made to promote its community fundraising program.
The truck’s original box is being replaced with a custom designed one that incorporates storage space for equipment and a stretcher to bring injured people out of the bush.
PRSAR’s current vehicle, also a Chevrolet crew-cab pickup truck, has only a canopy covering the box to provide storage space for the searchers’ equipment.
Edwards said the society is now shifting its community fundraising focus to work on the new operations centre, though the vehicle still needs to be equipped with radios, emergency lighting, front winch and other items.
While the search and rescue organization may have acquired its new home for a song, substantial renovations are needed to bring the aging building up to standards.
Edwards said society members plan to open the front of the building with a large garage door for their vehicles. When the building was constructed as a fire hall it included a front garage door, which was replaced with a solid wall when its use changed.
On the ground floor, next to the garage, Edwards said that space will be designated for a training* room equipped with televisions and computers. Bathrooms will need to be updated and the children’s toilets, left over from the building’s last incarnation as a childcare centre, need to be replaced with standard-sized ones. Upstairs, plans include creating an operation centre and a space for interviewing and debriefing.
Edwards said that the society is planning to raise approximately $50,000 for building renovations, but said that with $15,000 they would be able to make it functional for what they need. The society has $5,000 for renovations right now.
Some of the windows, at the front and on the side of the building, are the older style wood-frame single pane and need to be replaced with energy efficient storm windows.
On the top floor, plans are to cover over an opening for a spiral metal staircase to increase floorspace.
The building needs new gutters all around to solve a drainage problem at the front which has caused some water damage inside.
The wood siding will be painted and the gardens at the front, with overgrown trees and shrubs, will be removed.
Edwards said he recognizes that there is a great need for donations and the society is committed to giving back to the community, through the work the volunteers do and also financially by hiring local companies to work on the centre and their vehicles wherever possible.
“We are hoping that our requests for financial donations and donations in-kind for the community will be as well received as the incredible response we have had to the command vehicle,” added Edwards.
The search organization is always looking for dedicated people who are active and are prepared to volunteer time. PRSAR conducts annual certification training set by the Justice Institute of BC. Any one interested in joining or supporting the organization can email [email protected].
*Editor's note: This story has been edited from the original to change "presentation room" to "training room."
