News

The former SAR500 Organize Avalanche Response Team Member course has recently been discontinued and replaced with two new courses.

In consultation with EMBC and subject matter experts, it was determined that training for potential OAR team members should begin with a firm understanding of basic skills for travelling in avalanche terrain, followed by a second level of training to teach avalanche search and rescue techniques.

Each of these courses is presented in a blended learning model, consisting of an introductory online module followed by a face-to-face classroom and field portion.

SAR150 – Avalanche Skills for Search and Rescue: This course is available to any GSAR member who has completed the SAR100 Ground Search & Rescue (GSAR) course. The course teaches additional skills for GSAR members who wish to improve their ability to travel safely in avalanche terrain, and includes companion rescue techniques.

SAR150 is also a pre-requisite for any GSAR member who is working towards becoming an OAR team member.

Note: Applicants who have completed the Canadian Avalanche Association Avalanche Skills Training Level 1 (AST1), and can provide the appropriate documentation, are not required to complete SAR150 prior to registering for SAR151.

SAR151 – Organized Avalanche Response Team Member: This course provides participants with the skills necessary to safely respond to avalanche incidents as part of an inter-agency team in potentially unstable terrain, and includes techniques such as wanding, probing, searching and shovelling.

You have an emergency program in place, including emergency management and business continuity plans and regular training. But how do you know if your plan and training program are effective and will stand the test of a real emergency or disaster? Through a training and exercise program.

Here are five reasons why you should integrate exercising into your emergency management program: Read the rest of our exercise design article.

Emergencies and disasters don’t discriminate. They can affect any organization or business, including yours. The most obvious examples we hear about are large disasters, such as earthquakes, that rarely happen, but we expect would significantly disrupt operations at most businesses. Since these large disasters don’t occur regularly, we become complacent. But what about more common examples – such as snow storms, power outages, floods, fires and hazardous materials accidents? These smaller events do occur regularly, and can impact your business at several levels from your employees to your bottom line.

Here are the top five ways a business continuity plan can help your organization minimize the effects of emergencies and disasters: Read the rest of our business continuity article.

The JIBC Emergency Management Division is pleased to launch My Emergency Management Resources, a new online resource site for public safety professionals. The site includes videos, forms, job tools and exercises. All resources are free to download. For more information, visit www.myemresources.com.

New online degree will meet the demand for leadership positions in the growing fields of emergency management and security. Read the full news release.

The JIBC’s Emergency Management Division (EMD) has created two new laminated 24” x 36” size posters for Emergency Social Services (ESS) teams to use during training, exercises and operations; one chart for Reception Centres and another one for Group Lodging facilities. Learn more.