Please read the important information on this page prior to applying. We have two application stream with different training requirements: Due to training cycles, applications taken today for field membership will be held on file until our next intake (which we are anticipating will be no later than Spring 2026)
Intakes for our resource / associate members are taken on a continuous basis. Depending on our onboarding teams’ capacity it may be a delay of up to a month before we are able to contact you with next steps. In any case, you will receive an automated email upon completing the form with a few steps you can take today.
If you are an individual who has a CSA and/or BC GSAR certification (such as moving from another team into our area) please contact us at [email protected] to discuss options.
Application form link are at the bottom of the page. Please read all of the material to get a better understanding of what you are applying for.
I have no SAR background – can I still help?
Absolutely! Our members come from all walks of life and differing levels of skills / experience. A law enforcement or SAR background is not required. Thanks to our professional training plans, members become highly skilled searchers over time in a supportive environment that values teamwork.
Our recruitment process prioritizes teamwork and interpersonal skills over hard technical skills (which will be taught during training)
Ways our members help?
Our volunteer base is comprised of two main categories. We couldn’t function without either!
Operational / Active Members are deployed on SAR operations and respond to callouts. They undertake a 70 hour training course to complete the provincially recognized Ground Search and Rescue course at the Justice Institute of BC among other things.
Resource members are equally active, just in other ways! They help the team in a wide range of areas including finance, fundraising, equipment maintenance, training, public awareness and others. They are welcome to participate in training and attend responses in areas of their training but are not required to attend search and rescue operations.
Application Process – Field (GSAR) members
Although applications are accepted year-round, membership intake generally occurs once a year with successful applicants being invited to a field day where we assess team dynamics and more. The interview is followed by an interview.
Selected applicants are then offered conditional membership as Members in Training (MITs) and are required to:
Have a minimum attendance at operational tasks before applying for Wilderness/Urban response field member status:
- Complete an Online Introduction to SAR in BC Course (7 hours)
- Complete the In house Ground Search and Rescue Course (min 6 months and 70 hours)
- Attend regular training in addition to GSAR course (Thursday evenings with occasional other days)
- Have or obtain a minimum 14 hour First Aid Certification (all members are required to maintain at least this level of certification)
Application Process – Resource members
Applications are reviewed as they come in (and as our intake teams time permits, during times of high levels of activity for the team it may be several weeks to a month plus) and individuals are contacted generally by phone to setup the next steps.
Upon completing the application form you should receive an email with links to complete the courses as well as a police records check.
The first year for field (GSAR) members will be intense – expect to commit at least 200 hours to training and responses!
The commitment
Field (GSAR) Members:
Search and Rescue is a considerable time commitment. Field members are expected to commit at least 100 hours per year (more in the first year for additional training.) – this is required to be safe and effective on responses.
- Attending MIT training (during the first year) and a portion of all member training (Thursday evenings gnerally)
- Live within a reasonable radius of our service area (~75 minute drive)
- Respond to emergencies on short notice (this will involve missing work from time to time and overnight responses)
- Abide by the the EMCR and SFSAR Code of Conducts including confidentiality
- Ability to commit at least two years to the team – it’s a major training investment we make in you!
Resource Members:
- Attend general team meetings to be engaged with the team
- Volunteer in a wide range of capacities
- Potentially attend public events (Canada Day, emergency services day)
- Live within a reasonable radius of our service area (~75 minute drive)
- Abide by the the EMCR and SFSAR Code of Conducts including confidentiality
Prospective K9 Dog Handlers
Please take a look at the BC Search Dog Association website – at a minimum you will need to complete the GSAR program and be a member of a BC GSAR team for 2 years prior to being considered for support as a dog handler. We are unable to consider handlers outside of this policy.
Raising a search dog is a massive undertaking far beyond many of our members. Search dogs are not pets who may have an interest, thousands of hours of training are required to train and validate a search dog.
A reality check of what SAR is in our area
You may have seen video and news stories about SAR predominately involving helicopters and individuals being slung from them. This represents a small fraction of SAR activity in BC. South Fraser SAR is almost exclusively a search team: that is we find people.
The vast majority of our calls are searching urban / suburban areas (think greenways in Surrey, the dykes in Richmond, or the Mud Bay trail for examples) and do not involve helicopters, driving with lights and sirens on etc. Common subjects are seniors with medical conditions, persons with special needs etc. As a specialized large search logistics team we may assist teams throughout the province with both search management support and large numbers of field searchers with missing hikers/hunters/mushroom pickers when it turns into a large search but that is not our “bread and butter.”
A common search is looking for a senior who has gone missing at night – checking urban green-spaces and parks…
Please don’t underestimate the time commitment. Operational members are expected to volunteer a minimum of 100 hours per year.
Apply Now
Thank you for reading the above information. A reminder that intakes do not occur all the time and that our onboarding teams are volunteer and depending on our operational tempo we may be a few weeks. Your application will be kept on file for when we are able to onboard volunteers. We thank you for your patience!
🥾 Operational Field Member (GSAR) Application Form
Select this if you want to be on the “pager list” and respond to tasks in the field potentially anywhere in British Columbia. Please note that due to training requirements our intake for this stream occurs at most once a year. Taking the 70 hour GSAR course over several months will qualify you to deploy in the field to anywhere in BC with the option to become qualified under the Canadian Standards Association Ground Search and Rescue Standards program.
🛠️ Resource Member Application Form
Select this if you want to help the team, but are not interested in bushwhacking / potentially being on the “on call list”. Resource members do important things like our prevention programs, manage logistics (ensuring our vehicles are in good working order with fuel in them is huge) and finance functions (we have a very sophisticated / streamlined accounting system for a nonprofit our size), coordinate fundraising and other critical functions for the team. Some resource members are on the callout list and may be deployed for incident management functions and limited scope deployments within our service area (lower risk terrain etc)