100% Volunteer Run and Operated Non-Profit
– Serving the Bulkley Valley and Beyond –
A VOLUNTEER SEARCH & RESCUE TEAM BASED IN SMITHERS, BC
BVSAR is a volunteer-based search and rescue team. Currently BVSAR has 35 operational members, 16 members in training, and three support members. The team assists police with searching for lost recreationalists and helps accessing and transporting injured people when specialized skills or equipment are required.
The team also provides support during emergencies, such as wildfires and flooding, by distributing information during evacuations and other emergency response activities. Volunteers are prepared to respond to calls 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
Areas we serve
BVSAR is responsible for the Smithers, Hazelton, and Dease Lake RCMP areas (117,476 sq km). The team covers the geographical range from the West including Mount Edziza, east including Spatsizi Plateau, North to the Yukon border, and South to Tweedsmuir Park.
Our area is extensive and overlaps other SAR areas because we are the initial response team for Winter Response, Swiftwater Rescue, and Rope Rescue calls. BVSAR frequently responds to mutual aid requests across Northern BC.
History
Practising rope skills
The new SAR hall breaks ground
EXECUTIVE & TEAM LEADS
– Trained and Dedicated Volunteers –
Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue (BVSAR) is represented by the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA).
BCSARA was registered in 2002 as a non-profit society and enhances the provision of ground search and rescue services in the province by bringing together all SAR professionals in BC to discuss and resolve issues, by accessing funding for training, providing occupational health and safety support, educating the general public on outdoor safety and acting as a common link to information and resources for Search and Rescue practitioners across British Columbia.
While Bulkley Valley Search & Rescue has existed in one form or another since the ’80s, we became an official non-profit society on April 15, 1994.
BVSAR Board of Directors approved its revised bylaws and constitution in 2018.
Ben Ambrose
President
Ryan Zapisocki
Vice – President
Maciej Jamrozik
Secretary
JP Labonte
Director at Large
Brigitte Aubertin
Training Director
Dave Walter
Rope Team Lead
Dan Helm
Swiftwater Team Lead
Anastasia Lewdon
Director at Large
Colleen Atherton
Director at Large
Vacant
Equipment Director
Keegan Hofmann
Treasurer
John Johnson
Director at Large
Partnering Organizations
– Working Together to Serve Our Communities –
Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Emergency Management BC (EMBC) is the province’s lead coordinating agency for all emergency management activities, including response, planning, training, testing and exercising. Emergency management in British Columbia is guided by four pillars: Mitigation, Preparation, Response and Recovery. Learn how the Province is involved in emergencies and find resources for your household, neighbourhood and community.
BC Search and Rescue Association
BCSARA acts as a liaison between Emergency Management British Columbia, the agency that oversees emergency response on a provincial level, the RCMP and local police forces who handle missing persons cases, and the SAR groups that represent the over 2500 hard working volunteers.
PEP Air
PEP Air is a BC-wide volunteer aviation association dedicated to the provision of air search support services to the National Search and Rescue Program. PEP AIR is an associate member of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, or CASARA, and works closely with 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron with the Canadian Forces located at 19 Wing, Comox, BC.
Bulkley Valley Amateur Radio Society
Bulkley Valley Amateur Radio Society is an organization of amateur radio operators serving the public and each other. The hobby of amateur radio (also called “ham radio”) provides technical education & practice, fellowship, and emergency communications in times of need.
BC Community Gaming Grant
Community Gaming Grants provide $140 million annually to not-for-profit organizations throughout B.C., to support their delivery of ongoing programs and services that meet the needs of their communities.
Our Sponsors
– Thank you for your continued support –
Thanks to support from these companies, BVSAR is able to keep up-to-date with equipment, and ensure operating costs are covered.
Abbott Fire Protection
Adema’s Auto Shop
Aqua North Plumbing Supplies
Bob’s RV Mobile Repairs
BV Amateur Radio Club
BV Credit Union
BV Foundation
Calderwood Insurance
Coast Mountain GM
David Rice
Glacier Toyota
Home Hardware
Jade Acres Alpacas & Llamas
Larry Miller
Morris Electric
North Country Insurance
North Country Rentals
Oscar’s Sporting Goods
Pacific Inland Resources
Pharmasave
Regional District Electoral “A”
Smithers Feed Store
Smithers Lumber
Summit Nurseries
Super Valu
Total Floors
Town of Smithers
Wall’s Home Furnishings
Windsor Plywood