Welcome to the NSS Search and Rescue (SAR) Prevention Website. This website provides you with up-to-date information on SAR prevention activities, including relevant web-links, information on best practices in SAR prevention, upcoming events and prevention resources.

Background of Federal SAR Prevention

In 1997, the Secretariat initiated a review of non-regulatory prevention activities involving federal SAR departments. The review had three objectives:

• Examine issues and current practices in the overall approach, design and evaluation of non-regulatory SAR prevention activities carried out by ICSAR members
• Examine lessons learned and "Best Practices" in the overall approach, design, delivery and evaluation of non-regulatory SAR prevention activities carried out by the ICSAR members
• Determine how to apply lessons learned and 'Best Practices' to non-regulatory SAR prevention activities in the future, through the NSS, NIF, and individual ICSAR members.

The review recommended that a vision for federal SAR prevention activities be developed at the program level; that an annual meeting occur between federal SAR practitioners, that best practices be developed and shared among SAR practitioners; and that a surveillance system be developed to analyze SAR incidents, and to provide information on trends, target populations, and causality data. These recommendations provided the impetus for the NSS and the federal SAR departments to develop an essential policy framework for federal SAR activities.

It was recommended that any future activity in SAR prevention must reflect the following principles:

Specific: clear objectives and formal design procedures are needed along with a clear and detailed understanding of the target audiences;

Measurable: the commitment of adequate resources for careful evaluation of the effectiveness of SAR prevention programs should be viewed as an investment in the future;

Attainable: understanding the culture and behaviour of the targeted audience is key to attaining success in the influencing game;

Realistic: Management cannot expect to see attitudinal or behavioural change overnight, as most prevention efforts require a long-term commitment;

Timely: to adopt a social marketing model in order to produce timely products that will provide the desired change in attitude/behaviour sought.

A Vision for SAR Prevention

A Canada where people engaging in activities which might require a SAR response, assess the degree of risk involved in their actions and choose behaviour that avoids or minimizes potential injury or loss of life.

While the Prevention Working Group includes the five departments of the federal government's National Search and Rescue Program, activities have also included provincial and territorial governments and not-for-profit organizations, moving towards a coordinated National SAR Prevention Program. The vision statement has been included within the Building Prevention Information Capacity project, which will provide the opportunity for all SAR prevention practitioners to discuss prevention matters, specifically SAR data surveillance.

Objective for SAR Prevention

Prevention aims to motivate people to acquire and use the knowledge, skills, and devices, necessary for them to avoid or reduce the severity of incidents associated with their activities, which might require a SAR response.

This objective will be achieved by successfully implementing the following strategic activities:

• Strengthening the effectiveness of the prevention community through the establishment of partnerships, increased collaboration, and cooperation
• Developing the ability to analyze relevant incident data
• Continuously improving the design of prevention programs through the effective use of baseline incident data and social marketing research
• Implementing best practices and acting on lessons learned
• Measuring and reporting on the performance of prevention activities
• Focusing on categories of individuals and activities most exposed to risk
• Considering all phases of incidents

Enabling Strategies

The SAR Prevention Working Group developed four enabling strategies that would enhance the vision statement and objective for the federal SAR prevention community:

Motivating people to acquire and use the knowledge, skill and equipment necessary to save lives and avoid injury

Prevention will focus on:

• Changing behaviour
• Encouraging better risk management
• Enabling people to make effective decisions for the protection for their own and others' lives and physical safety

To implement this strategy, Canada's prevention community is committed to focusing efforts on individuals and activities most exposed to risk, considering all phases of incidents (pre-incident, incident and post-incident) and all components of prevention (personal, equipment and environmental)

Strengthening the capacity of the prevention community throughout Canada

To strengthen its capacity to achieve more effective prevention programs, activities and measures in a resource scarce environment, Canada's prevention community is committed to forming partnerships, recruiting volunteers, increasing collaboration, cooperation and information sharing, raising funds, developing networks, and collecting and analyzing incident data

Designing effective SAR prevention programs, activities and measures which reflect prevention community best practices and incorporate lessons learned

To ensure that prevention activities are cost-effective, Canada's prevention community is committed to ensuring that SAR prevention programs, activities and measures:

• Include an analysis of the prevention context and baseline incident data;
• Involve the profiling of target audiences;
• Define :performance paths"
• Work in concert with other activities and initiatives;
• Incorporate effective work-planning, scheduling and budgeting skills

Committing to the achievement of measurable results

To ensure that prevention programs, activities and measures achieve desired results, Canada's prevention community is committed to effective and meaningful performance measurement. This will include the early identification of achievable and measurable results; routine and timely measurement of actual versus planned results; systematic evaluation of the prevention program, activity, or measure; and, identifying best practices and obtaining lessons learned.

Next: Prevention Working Group Members and Responsibilities