National Search and Rescue Program:  Awards of Excellence

6.0   Presentation of Awards

6.1       Awards Ceremony

Date and Location.  The Awards of Excellence are typically presented each year in conjunction with the annual search and rescue event, SARscene.  If, for some reason, the SARscene awards banquet does not proceed as scheduled, the National Search and Rescue Secretariat will arrange an alternate date, occasion, and location to present the Awards of Excellence.

Presenter.  Depending upon availability, the Awards of Excellence will be presented by the Lead Minister for Search and Rescue (the Minister of National Defence); his/her designate; or the Executive Director of the National Search and Rescue Secretariat.

Alternate arrangements.  If a recipient is unable to attend the awards banquet, he or she may choose either to have another person in attendance accept the award on their behalf; or to have the award presented at another date and location (e.g. an annual meeting or awards ceremony associated with the recipient’s employment or volunteer activities).  The National Search and Rescue Secretariat will make every effort to accommodate alternate presentation options, but cannot guarantee that all preferences can be met.

Travel assistance.  Each award recipient will be invited to travel to the awards banquet, including the cost of return economy air, road, ferry or rail travel, associated transfers, one night of accommodation, and a meal allowance.  If the award is to be presented to a group or organization, travel assistance will be extended to one person identified as a representative of the group or organization.  All travel expenses must be pre-approved by the Executive Director of the NSS and adhere to the Treasury Board Travel Directive: http://www.njc-cnm.gc.ca/directive/travel-voyage/s-td-dv-a3-eng.php.

Posthumous awards.  Should a recipient die before being presented with their award, or be selected for an award as the result of a posthumous nomination, a relative or other designated representative will be invited to accept the award on their behalf.  Similar travel assistance will be extended to this representative to attend the awards banquet, as noted above.

6.2 Promotion/Publicity

Media release. The achievements of all recipients will be promoted both nationally and in the recipients’ home communities through a media release on the day preceding the awards presentation. 

Online publication.  With their permission, profiles of the award recipients, including photographs, will also be posted on the National Search and Rescue Secretariat website, and included in SARscene magazine.  Names of award recipients will also be added to the following year’s awards program guide.