SUNSHINE
COAST SEARCH AND RESCUE SOCIETY
A committed Community Service
Organization built by
success with the right
people, with the right training and equipment, at the right time!
This site is sponsored by Robert Allen and Company,
Professional Land Surveyors
Date last revised:
2010-08-22.
NEW RECRUITMENT
Evacuation from
Gambier Lake on Gambier Island.
Part of the SC
SAR Team (15 September 2009)
Sunshine Coast SAR Team (29 September
2009)
Helicopter Training and Hover Exits
With Airspan Helicopters – October 2009.
The Sunshine
Coast Search and Rescue Society has been in existence on the
Our 2010 Annual
General Meeting was held on 08 June and the new executive members are as
follows:
|
Chair |
Rod Moorcroft |
rmoorcroft@dccnet.com |
|
Vice Chair |
Sheree Haydu |
haydu2@hotmail.com |
|
Secretary |
Sandra Watt |
swatt@ dccnet.com |
|
Treasurer |
Adrian Young |
adrian.young@ dccnet.com |
|
Honourary Past Chairman |
Harry Almond |
ve7har@dccnet.com |
|
Equipment |
Billy Wilton |
kidthebilly@hotmail.com |
|
Training Officer |
Eileen Bonaguro |
eileenbonaguro@dccnet.com |
|
Fund Raising |
Josh Romer |
romer.josh@gmail.com |
|
Truck/Garage |
Jim Janke |
millcreekflyer@telus.net |
|
Membership |
Shaunna Asselstine |
shaunna@eastlink.ca |
|
Public Relations |
Robert Allen |
robert_allen@dccnet.com |
|
Director at Large |
Brent Berry |
baberry@telus.net |
|
Safety Officer |
Mike MacKown |
mmackown@dccnet.com |
At
the 2009
All new recruits
must go through a comprehensive training process before becoming members of the
group. This training is to established provincial standards. The
group has 45 members, some of whom are fully qualified as search managers,
others as team leaders, and the remainder as ground searchers while some also
have rope rescue qualifications. Recent accomplishments include 1.) an
updated database of personnel; 2.) streamlining of the "call-out"
procedure with an updated paging system; and 3.) establishing an accounting
system to timely reimbursement of authorized expenses to SAR members and
recovery of these funds from
Our searches are
done under the authority of the RCMP as they are responsible for the
investigation and recovery of all missing persons. The RCMP will normally
page our search managers and one of them will then arrange for the SAR team to
assist them.
We also work in
conjunction with the Sunshine Coast Emergency Program and its coordinator, Bill
Elsner who can be reached through the Sunshine Coast Regional District office
at 604-885-6887.
A list of all the
equipment required to be in each searcher’s pack can be found by clicking on pack requirements.
RECREATIONAL
USE OF HAND HELD GPS UNITS.
General notes:
GPS or Global
Positioning System is the U.S. Department of Defence’s solution to navigation
and location problems that have plagued mariners and travellers since the
beginning of time. The sextant, star charts, compass, and radio systems
such a LORAN have all been used to determine one’s position. All of these
early systems had their problems, the greatest of which was the lack of an
accurate location.
Without being
able to accurately determine one’s location and/or destination, especially in
the back country, it is easy to become lost.
There are
approximately 28 satellites in circular orbits about 20,000 km above the
earth. At any time, there should be enough satellites in view to obtain a
position as they continuously broadcast position and time data back to
earth. The satellite system was originally developed to serve the
military but has found a popular use among recreational users. Hand held
GPS receivers are capable of tracking up to 12 satellites and through an
advanced method of electronic triangulation, each receiver can determine its
latitude and longitude. High priced GPS equipment, used by Land Surveyors
in differential mode, can determine positions to sub-centimetre accuracy.
Hand held GPS
units can store hundreds of waypoints or landmarks, as they are also
called. They can also be connected to computers to download these
waypoints with not much more than a few keystrokes. Some of them can have
external antennas connected to them and can be placed inside your vehicle, on
your bicycle, or on your ATV. With a GPS receiver and a topographical
map, it is easy enough to determine your location and if you recorded your
position before leaving your vehicle or base camp, you can easily determine
your return direction and distance. You can also enter any set of
coordinates into the GPS that you have read from the map, so it isn't actually
necessary to be at those points.
Most of the
topographical maps we use are based on the North American Datum from 1927, called
NAD 27. Some of the newer maps are based on NAD 83 and there is a
coordinate shift between the two systems. The NAD 83 northing is about 200
metres larger than NAD 27 and the NAD 83 easting is about 100 metres smaller
than NAD 27.
The military
imposed what is known as Selective Availability (SA) so that the signals were
slightly scrambled so that others would not be able to use them to any degree
of accuracy. With the SA turned on, expect results to be +/- 100 metres
horizontal and +/- 160 metres vertical. While the SA has recently been
turned off or reduced, it can be turned back on again at any time. With
the SA turned off, expect results to be within 15 metres +/-.
The ‘terrain’ can
determine the number of satellites that can be read by the receivers. Narrow
canyons, dense forest cover, tall buildings, etc. can adversely affect the
readings. The time should be taken to locate suitable locations that
allow for an open sky.
A GPS receiver can
make your outdoor travels much safer and a lot less frustrating as long as you
learn how to use it properly. They take time and patience to learn but
you will still need your compass and maps and the knowledge how to use them as
well in order to make the best use of a GPS.
Specific
notes:
For Search and
Rescue purposes, it is best to setup the GPS to read UTM coordinates in metres
on the NAD 83 datum and set the bearing selection to true bearings. Sites
should be chosen that allow for an open sky if possible. Holding the GPS
too close to the body can block out signals so it is best to place it on your
pack, on a stump, on a log, etc. and then stand back and wait for a few minutes
until it has positioned itself. After this, press: ‘MARK’, ‘ENTER'
quickly. This gives the waypoint or landmark a generic name such as
Waypoint 01 that can be edited later. If you try to enter a name for the
waypoint after pressing ‘MARK’, you run the risk of interfering with the
satellite signals and then ending up with an erroneous location. The
coordinates on display are the northing and easting as well as the UTM
zone. We are in Zone 10. The coordinates can then be transferred to
the 1:50,000 maps and your location on the map can then be found. Again,
the coordinates and elevations should be within 15 metres of their true
value. It takes more satellites and a longer observation period to arrive
at a more accurate elevation.
If you have at
least one other waypoint stored in the GPS, press the ‘GOTO’ button, select the
waypoint you wish to go to, and then read the bearing and distance to that
point. This will give you a bearing and distance from your current
position to that waypoint. Remember that your ‘current position’ can be
affected if your body or anything else interferes with the satellite
signals. If you actually want to go to that point, TURN THE GPS OFF AND
CONSERVE THE
The other
functions in the GPS are a near-luxury and they aren’t really needed on a daily
basis. If you wish to use them, consult with the manual and try them out
at your leisure but remember to carry lots of spare batteries.
Robert W. Allen
BCLS, CLS.
2005-10-30.
Links to:
Provincial Emergency Program
Sunshine Coast Regional
District Emergency Program
Copyright: Robert
Allen 2010.