National Search and Rescue Program:  Awards of Excellence

2.0  Eligibility

2.1       Nominees

Volunteers and other SAR professionals.  The National SAR Program Awards of Excellence are open both to volunteers and to those employed directly or indirectly in the field of search and rescue.  Nominees may include, for example, search and rescue volunteers, university researchers, park wardens, police officers, students, public servants, military personnel, company employees, and emergency services workers, among others. 

Contributions made to the advancement of search and rescue may therefore arise through work performed as a volunteer; as a paid employee; or through a combination of both.  Those working full or part-time in the search and rescue field must be nominated on the strength of their superlative contribution to search and rescue, which is considered to exceed the routine performance of their duties.

Individuals and groups.  Both individuals and groups (e.g. associations, teams, squadrons, societies, companies, ad hoc committees) may be nominated for awards. 

Citizenship.  Nominees must either be Canadian citizens, or permanent residents of Canada at the time of nomination.  Foreign nationals may also be nominated for a direct contribution to the enhancement of search and rescue in Canada.

Age.  There is no minimum or maximum age for nominees.

Posthumous awards.  Although the Awards of Excellence are intended primarily to honour living people, posthumous nominations will be accepted up to 18 months after the death of the nominee.  Awards will also be presented posthumously to any pending recipients who die before the awards presentation.

Previous National SAR Program award recipients.  Recipients of the Outstanding SAR Achievement Award may not be nominated for an Award of Excellence for Exemplary Service, unless the nomination is for new or substantively different contributions made to search and rescue since the previous award was presented.

NSS staff.  Current employees of the National Search and Rescue Secretariat are not eligible for nomination.

2.2       Nominators

Overall requirements.  Those nominating an individual or a group for an Award of Excellence must have first-hand knowledge of the nominee’s contributions to search and rescue.  It is recognized that due to chain-of-command protocols within some organizations, the primary nominator may not be the one who has the authority to sign the nomination form.

Citizenship.  Nominations for the National Search and Rescue Program Awards of Excellence must be made by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, who have a direct knowledge of the nominee’s contributions. 

Minimum age.  Persons wishing to submit a nomination must be 18 years of age or older.

NSS staff.  Current employees of the National Search and Rescue Secretariat may not submit a nomination to this program.

Nomination of groups/organizations.  Members serving within a group, team, or unit cannot nominate that same group, team, or unit for an award.  An arms-length nomination within a larger organization is, however, permissible.  For example, the president of a provincial search and rescue association may wish to nominate one of its member units for an award.  Similarly, a program manager within a government agency may wish to recognize a district or regional office with a nomination.  In such cases, nominations may be strengthened by statements of support from outside the immediate group/organization.

Nomination of individuals by colleagues.  It is certainly permissible for individuals to be nominated by their fellow group/organization members, peers, subordinates, or supervisors.  In such cases, however, nominations may be strengthened by statements of support from those outside the immediate group/organization.  Self-nominations are not accepted.