“I am overwhelmed at how much support the team has received from not only the Exploits Valley region, but right across Canada,” said Trevor Miller of Exploits Search and Rescue. “To have the command centre ordered after just 16 months is far beyond our expectations and our volunteers are thrilled.”
The unit will be “a valuable asset” for the team and provides many functions including an incident command post, meeting area, radio base, kitchen, and storage of over 60 critical assets required.
Down payments have been made, and the custom build process has begun with anticipated delivery in the fall of 2017, the Team stated in a press release.
Over the next few months the team will be conducting a few fundraising events to offset some increased costs of the project and the team thanks all those involved to date.
“The Bishop’s Falls Lions Club would also like to thank Lions International for matching funds totalling over $130,000 as a single donation,” said David Alcock, chair of the Bishop’s Falls Lions Fundraising Team. “By matching, it inspired us to work that much harder and encouraged many other charitable groups, religious organizations, business community, and many individuals to join in this awe-inspiring partnership.
As a member of the Lions Group, I am so proud of the support our organization was able to offer as we recognize the tremendous cause and convictions of the volunteers giving freely of their time to help others – a big thank-you to the Search and Rescue team for all you do so unselfishly to help others.”
The Exploits Search and Rescue Team is a highly trained and well-equipped volunteer emergency response unit serving the Exploits Valley. It is one of 27 teams, containing almost 1200 members, currently operating throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The team’s primary role is to assist the RCMP by providing a cadre of trained volunteers to conduct ground searches for persons who become lost in the central Newfoundland wilderness. Over the years however, the Team’s role has expanded to include water searches and it frequently finds itself searching for and retrieving drowning victims or assisting the RCMP Dive Team. The team also assists the RCMP with evidence searches in crimes ranging for theft to murder.