Who we are
Volunteers serving the Sunshine Coast, 24 hours a day.
Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue is a volunteer organization responding to land search and rescue emergencies across the lower Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.
The team
35 volunteers, always on call.
We are a team of approximately 35 volunteers who give their time, skills, and weekends to bring people home safely. Every member starts as a ground searcher and may progress to specialty teams as interests and operational needs develop.
We are a 100% volunteer organization and there is never a charge for our assistance. While we receive essential funding from the BC Government and the regional district, we rely heavily on community fundraising and donations. Your support funds the gear, fuel, and specialized training required to bring people home safely — at no cost to the lost.
Sunshine Coast SAR does not take direct emergency calls from the public. We are dispatched exclusively through the 9-1-1 system by official requesting agencies, including the RCMP, BC Ambulance Service, Fire Rescue, and the BC Coroners Service.
In an emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately and ask for the police or ambulance.
Capabilities
Specialty teams.
All members begin as trained ground searchers. As capabilities and operational requirements develop, members can progress to specialty teams requiring additional certification and training.
Ground search
All members are trained ground searchers — the foundation of every callout.
Tracking
Identifying and following sign to locate missing persons in the field.
Rope rescue
Technical rescue from cliff faces, steep terrain, and remote backcountry locations beyond the reach of conventional response.
Swift water rescue
Rescue operations on the rivers, creeks, and flood-affected terrain of the Sunshine Coast.
Avalanche response
Certified response in the alpine terrain of Tetrahedron, Tantalus, and beyond.
Search dog
A trained search dog and handler team specializing in air scenting to locate missing persons across a range of terrain.
Drone reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance utilizing thermal imaging and high-resolution cameras to rapidly search rugged terrain and dense canopies.
Advanced first aid
Extended patient care in remote environments far from definitive medical care.
Command structure
How we're organized.
SCGSAR follows the Incident Command System (ICS) used by emergency services across British Columbia.
How callouts work
From your 911 call to field deployment.
Someone calls 911
A missing person report or distress call comes into E-Comm via 911. All SAR activations originate through an official requesting agency — we do not take calls directly from the public.
Responding agency assesses and requests SAR
The responding agency — RCMP, BC Ambulance, Fire Rescue, or the BC Coroners Service — evaluates the situation and, when a search and rescue response is appropriate, formally requests our team through Emergency Management BC.
Our SAR Manager is paged
Our SAR Manager receives the callout, assumes incident command, and begins mobilizing available team members. Members respond from home, work, or wherever they are.
Teams deploy
Search teams are briefed and deployed into the field. Operations continue until the subject is found and rescued, or the search is stood down by incident command.