Search and rescue group teaches life-saving skills

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This article was published 06/11/2023 (928 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Regional Search and Rescue Association educated both young and old on life-saving skills at its open house event this past weekend.

“We are educating volunteers and participants on the packages we have here, which has a space blanket that can be used to one’s body to retain body heat when lost in the woods,” Education Instructor Dennis Hurley told the Sun. “There’s also a whistle that we use for signalling. And in with the whistle, you’d blow on three times there would help direct search teams to your location.”

He explained that the reflector, which is also in the package, helps the rescue team with the visual signal when the Sun shines on it. “We give the package to all the kids just to keep them safe.”

In addition to these valuable tools, Hurley said that the association also introduced an app called “Adventure Smart.” According to him, anyone going for a hike can input the details of the trip in the app, including the expected time of arrival.

“Once the time for arrival passed, it’ll send an email to your contact person or loved ones. They, in turn, can notify us at BRSARA, and then we can begin the search. So we suggest using the Adventure Smart map every time you go for a hike,” he said.

Red Cross Instructor for Wilderness First Aid Jeff Ross explained the importance of wilderness first aid training to the participants, saying that the 40-hour course gives people all the necessary skills to provide first aid to extended care.

“The course educates one on how to provide first aid to anyone that is out in the bush for days, survival skills for injured persons and other scenarios. It’s a fun course because it’s a lot of interaction,” Ross told the Sun. “It’s all about figuring out how to deal with different scenarios in the wilderness. For example, we have a hypothermic route for frostbite or hypothermia, and we teach how to bring the temperature back up among other skills.”

Ross also showcased advanced technology used in training, including a CPR mannequin connected to an app. He explained, “This simulates actual CPR so we can tell how deep compressions go, their accuracy, and the pace of compressions. If it’s between 80 per cent and 100 per cent efficient, we’re good. The app also calculates the breaths.”

Search and Rescue Dog Trainer/Handler Leon Flannigan introduced his canine partner, Luke, a Belgian Shepherd breed to the volunteers, as he discussed the diverse roles of search and rescue dogs.

He said that Luke has been trained in what he described as ‘article searching,’ which means the ability to search and find any article that’s got human scent on it.

“If we go and search a huge area in a bush and they find a glove or a hat or something belonging to the missing person, that’s real helpful to the search and rescue because then we know we’re in the right area,” Flannigan said. “We train the dogs to do a person search. When the dog finds the person out in the bush, he’ll bark to indicate where they are. They’re also trained to bark for a long time until I get to them because I might be quite somewhere away from when he finds them.”

Flannigan further explained the tracking abilities of his dog, when the dog follows the ground scent and the human scent left behind when someone is moving. “Luke can track persons walking along the ground, and he’s done tracks up to about five hours old. It’s quite amazing really. He’s also highly trained in obedience.”

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