By joining us, you will be “Saving Lives on the Water”.

Marine rescue volunteerism pre-dates Confederation. In Canada, volunteers currently respond to 25% of all marine search & rescues.

Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue has almost 1000 volunteers performing this valuable public safety role across 31 Stations in B.C.

Proudly continuing a 150 year tradition of volunteer lifeboats on our British Columbia waters, Shuswap volunteers readily give of  their personal time to train, standby for page outs, promote water and boating safety, and crew response vessels for search and rescues (SAR), including those medical emergencies on the Shuswap Lake system.

As medical incidents form 3/4’s of responses, Station 106 Shuswap maintains 2 vessels, response ready 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Our programs can be designed to match your interests, availability, and skills, ranging from active Search and Rescue crew members, to that of supporting the Station with maintenance, fundraising, and boating safety awareness promotion at public events.

Serving as a search and rescue volunteer can be a challenging role, and yet also very rewarding. But, it may also not be for everyone.

There will be that Page Out in the middle of the night to respond to an emergency, frequently in weather and lake conditions we advise other boat operators to avoid.

You may be called upon to crew a mission in strong winds with high waves, as you navigate in total darkness, testing your SAR and vessel operation training.

This can often be a dangerous environment to work in and you will be responding to the aid of persons who are often confused, frightened, or badly injured.  Some of our missions involve tragedy and death.

If you have the character and commitment, we have the training, tools, and support needed to succeed as a SAR crew member.

The men and women volunteering with Station 106 advise that the rewards of “Saving Lives on the Water” are beyond measure.

To be operational search and rescue crew, volunteer members must be able to respond to the vessels in Sicamous, within 15-20 minutes. Dedicated emergency responders, our vessels strive to be underway within 15 minutes, and definitely within 30 minutes of being paged.

CLICK HERE   for more information on the Active Crew Member role

CLICK HERE   for more information on the Support Member role

When you volunteer with RCMSAR Station 106 Shuswap, you will be associated with the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCG-A), which is sectioned into six distinct regions across the country. Each region is a federally incorporated non-profit association that is responsible for the operational oversight of the region’s local SAR stations. The CCG-A Pacific region (British Columbia) was rebranded in May 2012 as Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue.

So, when volunteering with our Station 106 Shuswap, you will also become a member of RCMSAR provincially, and CCG-A nationally.

Interested? Email our Station at station106@rcmsar.com

As you join Station 106 Shuswap, whether an operational member, support member, or junior member, a series of application forms will need to be completed through the process, exampled below.

Applicants are also required to undergo a Criminal Record Check which is organized and paid for by our RCMSAR provincial headquarters as the applicant package is processed through their offices.

At the appropriate time, a Volunteer Probationary Contract will be discussed with all new recruits as well.

And now, the training, experiences, and personal reward begins ….