RCMSAR 106 Shuswap
Rescue Base
Unfolding Story – Early Years at Bottom, Most Recent at the Top
See our Video within the Year 2021 segment below, outlining the rationale.
Timeline
Over the summer months, Shuswap Lifeboat Society Directors reviewed, and reviewed again, the architectural and Schedule “B” specifications, making adjustments as deemed necessary to ensure the various aspects of SAR operations / procedures were considered in the design.
At their last meeting, V.P. Pat Gau is joined by Society President, Bruce Weicker.
On May 18th, a successful Ground Breaking Ceremony, with Bruce Weicker, our Society President as Master of Ceremonies, took place within the welding bay of Twin Anchors Manufacturing, where our Rescue Base will be built. Invited speakers, seated, from right to left – Kukpi7 Doug Thomas, Splatsin Band, Elder Bev Thomas, Opening Prayer, Deputy Mayor Louise Wallace Richmond, of the City of Salmon Arm, Mayor Terry Rysz, of the District of Sicamous, and Kevin Flynn, Chair of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District Board of Directors. A ground-breaking ceremony normally has shovels digging into the earth. As our Rescue Base will float on the lake, there is no land or foundation to dig into. We asked Station Leader, Rob Sutherland if he would perform a symbolic first weld. A 2′ X 3′ aluminum frame was chosen for the weld, which will eventually have the details about the Rescue Base facility an d when it was commissioned.
Over the course of 2020, the Society received engineered construction drawings, Stability Book, and construction estimate(s).
The Stability Book contains of extensive data pertaining to the facility design and size, with buoyancy, stability and weather characteristics incorporated, which must be calculated and ultimately flotation certified by a naval architect.
This was a year of decision making as construction costs were very fluid, given the volatility of rising construction material prices in 2020. Thus far, the Society has received 3 ever increasing estimates.
Geographic analysis of missions the past decade reaffirms Sicamous is ideally situated for a Rescue Base.
The Society approached Mayor and Council seeking their assistance in determining a viable location to site our Rescue Base as it is completed and floated. Council asked their staff to work alongside the Society, for which we are very grateful.
With a concept decided upon, the Society began a search of boathouse builders and/or manufacturers that would be interested in this project, so as to obtain quotes on costs. The concept was discussed with a total of 9 companies, and all but one declined, with most common reason being they were not equipped to construct a 14.5 metre by 19.5 metre boathouse and/or transport it to the Shuswap for floating.
As luck would have it, that sole firm with interest just happened to be located within the Shuswap – Twin Anchors Manufacturing – which was very interested as our project would permit return of laid off employees, given the downtown in houseboat and modular structure construction.
After much discussion on the pros and cons, and with the Wish List now outlining a List of Needs, the Shuswap Lifeboat Society entered into a contract with Twin Anchors Manufacturing to engineer and design our facility, including all necessary documentation and construction costs.
Shuswap Community Foundation provided grant funding for this work.
RCMSAR Station 106 Shuswap is currently a 24 hour, 365 days a year emergency response organization with over 300 missions undertaken.
SAR operations started May 19th, 2012, with Rescue One. Readily apparent, our services were indeed needed, with 44 missions that first year and 51 missions in 2013, Station 106 instantly became one of the busiest in British Columbia.
Vessel crew, all community volunteers, often discussed the value of a “boat house” – for protection of Rescue One from the elements, as well as provide a secure location to store SAR equipment and rescue gear.
And now in 2017, a Fast Response Craft, Tolonen, was joining Stn. 106.
With Station 106 and the volunteers very committed to their 24 hrs / day emergency response role, vessels were in the elements 365 days/year. Volunteers provided many hours in spring to maintenance and repairs.
While the Station crew volunteer these maintenance hours, the Shuswap Lifeboat Society must fund the cost of maintenance from donations and our grant funding. These costs could be minimized greatly if the vessels were better protected.
Tolonen, a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB), adds sun and summer heat to the ice and winter issue – the side-forming air tubes are rapidly deteriorating from our beautiful yet intense Shuswap sunlight, costing $35,000 when they fail. Tolonen needs to be out of the sun.
Shuswap Lifeboat Society, administering and operating Station 106, now manages $1 Million in Capital Assets – vessels, materials, equipment – supplied by taxpayers, in one form or another, which need protection.
So, in 2017, with due diligence in mind, the Society resolved the Society begin investigating “a floating Rescue Base” to safeguard the Society’s assets.