Strengthening Partnerships
with Volunteers
SAR VOLUNTEERS REVIEW
Approved by the
Interdepartmental Committee on Search and Rescue (ICSAR)
October 10, 1996
Review Scope and Objectives
Results in Brief
The Role of Volunteers in Search and Rescue
Review Methodology
Major Findings
Recommendations
Volunteer Suggestions
Appendix A
Review Scope and Objectives
The objective and scope of the review study was to assess the use of
federal search and rescue volunteers in the following organizations: the
Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, the Canadian Marine Rescue Auxiliary,
the Volunteer Program of Parks Canada, and Weather Watchers of the Atmospheric
Environmental Service. In particular, the evaluation was required to answer
seven questions (Appendix A) aimed at measuring the effectiveness of volunteers
in search and rescue.
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Results in Brief
The long-standing partnership between SAR volunteers and the federal
government is an investment in which both sides of the partnership have
benefitted.
Use of volunteers has been cost beneficial to government and maintained
services to the public. Two and a half million dollars have been identified
in this study as direct costs of using volunteers in air and marine SAR.
Approximately 23 per cent of total marine incidents and 20 per cent of
total air incidents are being addressed by volunteers.
To maintain the investment in volunteers, departments should increase
communications both formally and informally with volunteer agencies. Heightened
recognition of volunteer efforts is a prerequisite for keeping the partnership
in good health.
To further improve on the investment in volunteers, more resources should
be allocated to increase SAR coverage in identified geographic areas of
need and to provide better risk management.
It must be realized that increased training, insurance costs, better
equipment and more departmental staff time expended in supporting volunteer
efforts will be required. In certain instances, increased costs can be
addressed through the use of fund raising efforts or expanding the partnership
to private enterprise. As well, allocation of more departmental staff
time in supporting volunteer efforts may be required.
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The Role of Volunteers in Search and Rescue
CMRA
Created in 1978, the Canadian Marine Rescue Auxiliary (CMRA)
consists of 3,340 members on a national basis which participate in marine
search and rescue and related prevention activities, primarily on both
coasts and the Great Lakes system. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans
gave a $1.5 million annual contribution to this organization in 1995/
96.
Note: The CMRA is now the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary. CASARA
Created in 1986, the Civil Aviation Search and Rescue Association
(CASARA) consists of 3,900 members in 105 locations across Canada.
As pilots, spotters or navigators, members search for and locate downed
aircraft and locate the origin of ELT signals, whether they are incidents
or false alarms. As well, CASARA volunteers participate in prevention
activities. Transport Canada and the Department of National Defence gave
a $1.0 million annual contribution to this organization in 1995/ 96.
Weather Watchers
Created in the 1970s, the Weather Watchers program is managed
by the Atmospheric Environment Service, Environment Canada. Under this
program, 4,000 volunteers visually identify and report signs of severe
weather to weather offices. As volunteers are managed directly by the
Service and no equipment is required, no contribution is involved.
Parks Canada
Parks Canada has comprehensive policies, guidelines and criteria guiding
the use of volunteers (including contracts, insurance etc.) In developing
site specific search and rescue and prevention plans and activities, individual
Parks of Parks Canada of Canadian Heritage may and occasionally
have used volunteers that are trained and supported by other organizations.
While the Volunteer Program of Parks Canada encourages the use of volunteers
in a number of parks activities, historically, under this site-specific
approach that reflects the accountability of park management, the use
of pre-trained volunteers in search and rescue and its prevention has
been limited. The relevance of many of the following statements to Parks
volunteers is limited.
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Review Methodology
Multiple lines of evidence were used in this review study. Comprehensive
literature and file reviews, a systematic analysis of data, four case
studies, as well as a comprehensive interview program were conducted.
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Major Findings
Trends (mainly Question 7)
SAR Volunteers are playing a significant and growing role in SAR
and related activities. This is apparent in their improving self-management
capabilities and training standards, their operational and prevention
roles, strong evidence of their cost-effectiveness, and the levels of
satisfaction identified. Furthermore, the risks associated with using
volunteers in SAR are being systematically addressed. At the same time,
retention, coverage, and response to the trends that SAR volunteers are
facing continue to be issues. The future potential of volunteers is evolving.
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RCC OIC:
"Can't do the job without them; volunteers come through in the
crunch."
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The findings and conclusions of this study can be grouped under six major
headings: trends, scope, evaluating , reliability, cost effectiveness and
risk management.
Trends refers to the scientific, technical, operational, and
socio-economic factors that are having an impact on the evolving role
of volunteers in search and rescue. Four major trends are affecting volunteer
efforts.
The first is the changing role of governments in Canada, symbolized
by severe budgetary restraint and emphasis on alternative delivery and
devolution. In this context, volunteers and increased community involvement
represent alternative delivery options. Volunteers are being tasked more,
in part because of federal cost savings involved, although federal resources
expended in support of volunteer efforts have remained about the same.
The second is the steadily improving and more widespread use of technologies
relating to search and rescue. Improved locating and homing devices
and their availability at increasingly reasonable prices are
contributing among other things to the reduction of scope and duration
of searches. This in turn is having an effect on how and what SAR volunteers
are being asked to do.
The third is the decline in recreational aviation in Canada.
Increasing insurance and other costs associated with non-commercial aircraft
operation and ownership, along with the enduring effects of the recession
of the early nineties, among other factors, are leading to decreased aircraft
ownership and decreased levels of recreational flying in Canada, particularly
in less populated locations and regions. The effect on CASARA of this
particular trend is that the number of low risk incidents has been declining
(a large part of CASARA's workload) and the pool of persons available
for recruitment is not increasing.
Finally, demographic and behavioural (leisure) trends are affecting
the search and rescue function in general and the kinds of taskings given
to volunteers. The aging boating population and the increased preference
for adventure recreation among the younger demographic population suggest
that the nature of incidents that volunteers may be assigned will be changing.
These trends therefore could potentially have the effect of undermining
the significance of volunteer organizations. For instance, one effect
of these trends on volunteers has been to stabilize or even decrease their
numbers in recent years, through reduced recruitment efforts, attrition,
and the "culling" of membership lists through annual renewal requirements,
etc.
It can also be concluded that partially as a result of these trends,
reduced and more focussed volunteer forces are emerging, particularly
in the cases of CMRA and CASARA.
Scope (mainly Questions 1, 3 and 4)
CMRA Volunteer:
"Volunteers are proud of what they do. The professionalism has increased
and it is continuing to improve." |
Scope refers to the operational, geographic, and institutional parameters
under which volunteers carry out their tasks. For reasons relating to effectiveness,
efficiency and risk management, the scope of volunteer activity has been
carefully delineated in the past. Issues of scoping are, however, posing
strong challenges for volunteer activity in SAR. For example:
Operationally, volunteers view themselves as increasingly more
professional, and increasingly ready to taking on a broader range of taskings.
The role of volunteers in terms of taskings has been expanding. For example,
in CASARA, volunteers interviewed would like increased authority to turn
off false alarm ELTs, while in CMRA, "stand by" procedures are being strengthened
to facilitate RCC tasking and assignment to taskings in areas such as
aids to navigation, and marine pollution countermeasures are being considered.
In both organizations, greater interaction and integration of volunteer
and civil servant efforts may bring further operational advantages and
further increase cost-effectiveness.
RCC OIC:
"Volunteers are located where the population is. |
Geographically, the coverage that volunteers have been able to
provide has been significant and problematic at the same time. It is significant
in that volunteers are able to provide coverage in virtually all "high
activity" areas. In recent years, coverage provided by volunteers has
more or less stabilized, with few gains or losses in coverage occurring.
At the same time, it is problematic in that largely in low population,
low incident locations, coverage has been sparse or non-existent. The
northern sectors of many of Canada's provinces, and various large segments
of the territories are experiencing low volunteer coverage.
Expanding geographic coverage into remoter zones has proven to be very
challenging for volunteer organizations, especially within available resources,
well-recognized gaps in coverage have remained. It should be noted, however,
that there is little evidence to suggest that the gaps identified are
"burning issues".
Institutionally, the relationships of volunteers with non-federal
institutions have been strengthening. For example, CASARA provincial units
have been developing memoranda of understanding with provincial police
forces and emergency preparedness programs; many CASARA provincial units
are now set up to carry out provincial taskings. Both CASARA and CMRA
recognize that a high level of awareness of their roles in local communities
and among local and regional institutions can produce significant benefits
in raising
recognition levels and fundraising.
Availability (mainly Questions 3 and 4)
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CASARA Zone Director:
"There is lots of room for expansion in all categories and in new
categories."
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Availability refers to the considerable range of factors that contribute
to the recruitment, training, and retention of a qualified cadre of volunteers,
ready and willing to be deployed. Recruitment in itself has proven to be
relatively easy in populated areas, while retention has been a continuing
challenge, particularly for CASARA and CMRA. Retention of members depends
heavily on maintaining high motivation and their sense of satisfaction.
By-and-large, this study found that volunteers are satisfied with their
role. The motivation of SAR volunteers, however, has many complex facets
such as: the development of a sense of community, an optimal frequency and
reasonableness of taskings, an appropriate training framework, expense recovery
and the risk orientation of the volunteer and related insurance considerations,
reasonable time commitment requirements, and perception of value added and
related public recognition. For example, particular, low frequency of taskings,
which has beset CASARA and some CMRA members in recent years, have led to
higher rates of turnover, according to elected leaders of these volunteer
units. The turnover rate of volunteers is probably the main ongoing factor
capable of eroding the effective use of volunteers, especially in view of
the investment in training.
The availability of volunteers for SAR response also depends on accurate
information on volunteer resources being available within RCCs. There
is evidence that in some cases, this has not been achieved, and that taskings
of volunteers were limited as a result.
Reliability (mainly Questions 1 and 2)
Reliability refers to the performance of volunteers in
SAR response and SAR prevention activities. In terms of SAR response,
volunteers are playing a significant and growing role. CMRA volunteers
were called out in support of 23 per cent of 18,400 reported marine SAR
incidents between 1992 to 1994. In the same time period, CASARA taskings
increased over the period and covered about 20 per cent of the 1,558 air
SAR incidents in that time period. Volunteers have provided significant
value added in SAR response, in terms of: improving strategic and tactical
coverage, improving timeliness of response, contributing local knowledge,
and reducing the use of primary (governmental) resources. Volunteers have
thereby contributed to operating savings, extending the economic life
of federally owned SAR response assets, and reserving primary SAR for
allocation to more serious incidents as they occur. No particular evidence
emerged that volunteers were being overtasked to SAR incidents.
Cost-Effectiveness (mainly Question 6)
In terms of prevention, volunteers are undertaking a range
of prevention activities, benefitting from local presence, credibility
among peers, and personal exposure to deliver safety messages as required.
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RCC/ MRSC:
"It doesn't get any cheaper. In fact, they are too cheap and not
enough money is spent on training them."
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In terms of cost-effectiveness, the low cost of deployment of volunteer
vessels and aircraft and the absence of any salary and overtime payments
by and large make tasking and involvement of volunteers a particularly cost-effective
proposition. There is little doubt that without volunteers in CASARA, the
CMRA, and Weather Watchers, an equivalent public sector response system
would cost considerably more. Cost effectiveness is clearly enhanced through
training of low turnover volunteers.
Risk and Risk Management (mainly Question 5)
Generally speaking, volunteers face four categories of risk: the
normal risk associated with conduct of the activity; the increased risks
associated with the conditions of training and tasking; the accountability
and legal risks associated with assuming a SAR role; and, job related
risks, insofar as extended absences from work may be required. Generally,
volunteers are aware of the risks and significant risk management and
mitigation measures are in place. These measures include, for example,
intensive ab initio training, strict RCC command and control procedures
in tasking volunteers, some currency training, unit safety officers and
insurance.
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Recommendations
Recommendation 1 (Future Trends)
Based on the above findings and conclusions the following recommendations
emerge:
It is recommended that SAR volunteer organizations and their respective
departmental programs
strengthen their ability to understand and respond to societal trends.
This recommendation has the effect of enabling volunteer organizations
on their own or in cooperation with their departmental programs to reach
significant conclusions and to adapt their mission, roles and activities
as a result. In this way, volunteers are more able to assure their continuing
relevance and effectiveness in the face of the significant identified
trends.
Recommendation 2 (Scope)
It is recommended that SAR volunteer organizations and their respective
departmental programs give consideration to judicious expansion of their
roles, operationally, geographically and
institutionally as appropriate.
This recommendation has the effect of encouraging volunteer organizations
and their supporting departments and programs to work together in establishing
what steps can be taken to ensure continuing interesting, challenging
opportunities for volunteers, within the limits of their capabilities.
This recommendation also includes prevention activities.
Recommendation 3 (Availability)
It is recommended that departments and volunteer organizations work together
to assess the potential for extending It is recommended that departments
and volunteer organizations work together to assess the potential for
extending coverage to areas of Canada that have been
identified as geographic areas of need.
This recommendation has the effect of encouraging both volunteer organizations
and their respective departmental programs to address issues relating
to coverage on a systematic, analytic and documented basis. The need for
extended coverage should be explicitly defined based on incident probability
analysis, and the barriers to coverage should be explicitly identified.
In cases where there are two or more areas, considered to be gaps, methodologies
should be made available to prioritize the area or areas of need.
Additional resources should be made available for the start up of units
in high priority areas of need.
Management Response to First Three Recommendations
Agree - A Strategic Needs Analysis for the NIF (which has historically
included funding for volunteers) will be conducted in 1996/97 and this
exercise will include consideration of future volunteer requirements as
they relate to SAR and how the NIF should address federal SAR needs as
they evolve.
In addition, certain ICSAR departments have or are formulating "Business
Plans" which include improving the role of their volunteers. Business
Plans include assumptions on future societal trends.
Finally, consideration is being given to more interaction between
senior management in the departments and the heads of CASARA and CCGA
attend meetings of ICSAR Sub Committees when matters affecting the future
deployment and use of volunteers are discussed.
It is recommended that volunteer organizations and RCC and program
personnel increase the number of occasions for formal and informal contact
and that formal procedures be put in place to ensure the currency of information
on volunteers available in RCCs.
Recommendation 4 (Availability)
It is recommended that volunteer organizations and RCC and program personnel
increase the number of occasions for formal and informal contact and that
formal procedures be put in place to ensure the currency of information
on volunteers available in RCCs.
This recommendation promotes harmonization between critical players
in the deployment of SAR volunteers. It has the effect of encouraging
volunteer organizations and supporting program officials to cooperate
in ensuring that an accurate knowledge base on volunteer capabilities
continues to be in place and that an informed, cooperative and mutually
supportive framework for SAR taskings and prevention supporting program
officials activities is in place.
Management Response to Recommendation Four
Agree -DND will be reviewing the feasibility of CASARA and
CCGA attendiing national level meetings between RCCs and headquarters
SAR staff.
In addition, RCCs will be reviewing their database information to
ensure information on volunteers is accurate and reliable.
Recommendation 5 (Reliability and Risk Management)
It is recommended that departments and volunteer organizations ensure
that the criteria for admitting new members and for maintaining current
membership be made more explicit and be applied consistently, especially
where risk issues are involved.
This recommendation has the effect of: (a) encouraging both partners
to manage the risks associated with SAR activity in a more explicit manner,
using training as a key means for increasing reliability and improving
risk management; (b) encouraging ongoing contact between departments and
volunteers throughout the duration of the volunteer experience as a means
to retain motivation; (c) encouraging both partners to address the questions
of risk in a systematic and more formal way, particularly with newer volunteer
members.
Management Response to Recommendation Five
Agree -DND and CCG will continue to consult with their respective
volunteers on a regular basis. In particular, CCG will be producing a
CCGA (CMRA) Training Manual.
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Volunteer Suggestions
During interviews, RCC personnel and volunteers made the following suggestions
for improving volunteer SAR activities:
CASARA
- Address the equipment shortages.
- Improve cooperation with local police authorities.
- Increase CASARA access to the search master course.
- Increase the number of CASARA taskings
- Do more prevention activities.
- Supply members with better equipment.
- The organization is in need of more and better search masters.
CMRA
- Increase training and develop a better integrated exercise program.
- Make available specialized training for volunteers.
- Allow volunteers to be more involved in planning incident responses
with RCCs.
- Improve coordination with law enforcement services.
- Continue movement towards dedicated, community-owned vessels.
- Issue new videos to CMRA members on improving safe boating practices.
- CMRA in the Atlantic Provinces should overcome its reluctance to undertake
prevention activities
and should institute a better prevention program.
- Conduct occasional audits of courtesy small vessel examinations, in
order to quality control inspections.
Parks Canada
- Consider using volunteers in the provision of rescue dogs.
Weather Watchers
- Provide periodic refresher training and occasional feedback.
- Use Weather Watchers to inform visitors to the area of weather patterns
to watch out for.
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Appendix A
The following are the volunteer review study questions used to assess
the utilization of federal volunteer organization in SAR.
Question 1
What are the impacts and effects of volunteers' activities on SAR?
What is the magnitude of these impacts?
Question 2
What are the impacts and effects of volunteers' activities on Prevention?
What is the magnitude?
Question 3
To what extent does the distribution of volunteers across the country
match the geographic areas of need?
Question 4
To what extent are stakeholders satisfied with the services provided?
To what extent are the volunteers themselves contented with their role?
Question 5
What are the risks associated with volunteers activities and to
what extent are these risks addressed by the parties involved?
Question 6
To what extent are the volunteer activities relating to SAR cost
effective? In particular, what are the departmental costs, cost avoidance
and cost savings associated with volunteers?
Question 7
What would be the risks, impediments, impacts and effects of an
orderly expansion or contraction of volunteer activities? To what
extent are the risks and impediments manageable?
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