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A New Look!
For the SSAR Newsletter
Orange?? Yes, orange and black. The unofficial colours of Saskatoon Search and Rescue.
A new look just begs for some new content. In addition to the really-important-need-to-know stuff such as training and event information, would you like the inside scoop on your fellow SSAR members? Excellent! The first member profile is included in this newsletter and stars none other than our President, Kent Orosz.
Are you a gear junkie? A techno-wizard? Love gadgets? Be sure to check out the Gear, Gadgets and Gizmos column which will feature a couple of new items each month.
In other news:
- A group buy opportunity for taclite pants
- Date set for meeting to review SSAR Command Trailer procurement
- A great resource on how to prepare for a flood (before, during and after)
- Fundraising for SSAR
- Need a new t-shirt or hat? Check out the SSAR store!
- Follow and share SSAR on Facebook
What else would you like to see in the SSAR newsletter? Do you have something that should be included next month? Please email the Communications Director with your ideas, comments and feedback. Thanks!
Group Buy Opportunity
5.11 Taclite Pants
The Taclite TDU pants from 5.11 Tactical are a high quality, functional and durable pant, ideal for SAR use. They are water repellent and, as one of our SSAR members can attest to, can actually stop a rose bush from stabbing your leg!
Final cost will depend on how many pants are ordered but will be in the range of $55 which includes shipping (a savings of ~ 15%). You can also order removable internal knee pads for about $18 extra. In keeping with the orange & black theme, only black pants will be ordered. There are both men's and women's versions of this pant.
If you are interested, please email Kent by April 4.
SSAR Command Trailer
Procurement Review
A Committee has been formed to review the purchase of the SSAR Mobile Command trailer. This is our largest asset purchase to date and a review of the entire process, from concept to delivery and beyond, will be undertaken.
The Committee will be meeting at the Lawson Heights Mall food court on Sunday, April 14 at 2:30 p.m. Anyone with any part in the trailer procurement process is encouraged to attend, and anyone who is interested in providing input or hearing about the process is also welcome. Please contact Kent for more information.
Be Prepared
For Flooding!
There is no doubt with the amount of snow and the long winter we've had that flooding is going to be a problem. Are you prepared?
The Government of Canada's Get Prepared website has a great on-line publication called Floods -- What to do? that outlines what to do before, during and after a flood; how to make an emergency plan for your family; and what to put in your emergency kit.
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Training and Events
Monthly Training Meetings
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Thursday, April 4, 2013 - The Basic Searcher Course will be in one room and a Team Leader session in the other.
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Thursday, May 2, 2013 - A Saskatoon Police Service officer will do a presentation on interviewing and note taking, in preparation for the May exercise.
All training meetings are held at 116 Avenue W South starting at 1900 h, unless otherwise specified.
Basic Searcher Course
The next Basic Searcher Course will be held on Thursday, April 4 and Saturday, April 6. Thursday evening is the classroom portion (as noted above) and Saturday is the field day. You must attend both portions in order to complete the course.
All SSAR members are encouraged to attend! Another Basic Searcher Course will not be offered until late fall so, if your certification is due to expire this year, please ensure you attend the April course.
National Emergency Preparedness Week and Saskatchewan Missing Persons Week
May 5 - 11, 2013 is National Emergency Preparedness Week, and this year it coincides with Saskatchewan Missing Persons Week. The exercise on May 10 & 11 will be our largest exercise of the year and will be an urban search exercise. More details will be available in the coming weeks. It will be a large exercise with involvement from other SAR chapters and the Saskatoon Police Service.
Search Manager Course
While details are still being worked out, we know that at some point in the next year or so there will be a Search Manager Course held in Saskatchewan. This is a 4-5 day (32-40 hour) course which teaches the principles of managing a Search and Rescue operation. Prerequisites for taking this course are Basic Searcher, Team Leader, Incident Command Systems Level 100 (which can be completed online) and Level 200. If you are interested in becoming a Search Manager, please begin planning now to have all your prerequisites in order and let the Training Director know of your interest.
SARSAV AGM
The SARSAV (Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers) Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday, April 13 starting at 0930. (Rescheduled from March 16.) SARSAV Meetings are held quarterly (March, June, September and December), and are hosted at Travelodge Saskatoon. This being an AGM, elections will be held for all Executive and Directors of SARSAV. All current members of Saskatchewan SAR chapters are welcome to attend. Email us if you require more information.
April Executive & Director Meeting
The next SSAR Executive and Director meeting is scheduled for April 25, starting at 1900 h. These are the business-style meetings of our chapter and are held the last Thursday of each month. All members are welcome to attend. If you would like to speak to an issue concerning SSAR, please notify the President prior to the meeting so time can be allotted on the agenda.
If you would like a copy of the minutes from any past Executive and Director meeting, please email us.
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Member Profile
Kent Orosz
When you hear the word “scientist,†do you have flashbacks to high school chemistry labs? Or think of Christopher Lloyd’s Dr. Emmett Brown character in the movie Back to the Future?
Well, Kent Orosz certainly doesn’t have wild & crazy hair like Dr. Brown, nor does he boil dangerous liquids in lab beakers (at least not any more!). But he is a scientist working in the Environmental Remediation Section at the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC).
Kent’s “other job†is President of Saskatoon Search and Rescue, a position he’s held since January 2011. He was previously in executive positions as Vice President and Director at Large. He’s been with SSAR since day one, taking his Basic Searcher and Team Leader Courses in January & February 2008.
One of Kent’s most memorable events as a SSAR member came in February 2011 when 82 SAR personnel from across the province gathered in Macdowall for a multi-jurisdictional training day. While the group settled in for refreshments and socializing after a long day, Kent made an off-the-cuff remark. “Wouldn’t it be something if we got a call right now for real? With 82 members here?â€
No more than a few minutes later, a local RCMP officer at the gathering got a phone call of a missing person. Members of the local SAR chapter and all the trackers present immediately left for the scene to assist and the remainder of the group was put on standby. Luckily the missing person was located quickly. Perhaps there are some psychic abilities there!
Amongst fellow SSAR members, Kent is known for being a gear junkie. Surprisingly though, his favorite piece of gear is a cheap and simple, low-tech solution to what can sometimes be a difficult task for the uninitiated – his fire starter kit, consisting of cotton balls and sterno, with which he has proudly started a fire by rubbing two stones together.
 Saskatoon Search and Rescue is a big part of Kent’s life. He’s pretty sure the survival skills he’s learned will help him during the zombie apocalypse. On a more serious note,
he says “being a member of SSAR has been a life-changing opportunity for me. I have developed a more active lifestyle, gained skills that help me in my pastimes and in my career, and most importantly I have met some great people who have become close friends.â€
Kent might also have a reputation for speeding! But something few people know is that he once applied for a job as an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency. Unfortunately, he was not able to fulfill this childhood dream.
Kent shares a home with his wife, Tanya, and their two cats, Mickey & Daisy.
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Gear, Gadgets, Gizmos
And Other Cool Stuff
Need a quick & easy way to brush up on some SSAR skills? Check out these apps.
The American Red Cross First Aid app provides information and simple step-by-step instructions on what you need to know to handle the most common first aid emergencies; and you don't need to be connected to access the info. It has interactive quizzes, videos and animation, as well as safety tips to help you prepare for emergencies, such as the severe winter weather we've been experiencing lately! Available free for both iPhone and android devices and recommended by SSAR First Aid instructor, Rebecca Basset.
 There are a million (well, okay, maybe not that many!) knot apps out there. I've tried a couple of them and the one I like best is Animated Knots by Grog for its easy-to-follow stop-frame animation. According to a recent post in Outside Online, it's the "best combination of multimedia and researched background that we found in any app." It features 110 knots and has a special section for search and rescue. At $4.99, it's not cheap for an app (both iPhone and android), but the same information, as well as video, is available on their website.
Gear, Gadgets, Gizmos will be a regular newsletter section featuring a couple of items that SSAR members find useful. Got something you think others would like to hear about? Please email the Communications Director.
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Help SSAR
Meet Fundraising Goals
2012 was a great year for SSAR with the acquisition of the Command Trailer. Thank you Saskatoon Kinsmen for your support!
In order for us to continue to develop and grow as a professional organization and a valuable resource for our community, SSAR will have another aggressive fundraising plan for 2013 to meet operational needs and make further purchases (e.g. radios, near-water search gear, etc.).
We need your assistance to do this! In addition to helping hands, we're looking for ideas and new strategies to meet our fundraising goals. To get involved, please contact the Fundraising Director.
SSAR Promo Items
In Stock Now
The SSAR Store currently has t-shirts, ballcaps, badges and vehicle decals in stock. The Membership Director, Jarod, will have these items available for purchase at Training meetings. 
Sew-on patches, 4": $15
Vehicle decals: $1
SAR ball cap: $18
SSAR T-shirt: $15 (S, M, L, and XL)
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Follow SSAR on Facebook
And Share With Your Friends!
The Saskatoon Search and Rescue Facebook page is becoming more active and needs your participation to make it a valuable resource for members and the public. Share with your friends and encourage them to "like" us!
Forward this newsletter to others who may be interested in joining SSAR or who would be interested in our news and events.
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