Another record-breaking year for Kamloops Search and Rescue

KAMLOOPS – It was a busy 2018 for the volunteers with Kamloops Search and Rescue.

Kamloops Search and Rescue members put in roughly 3,500 task hours over 72 operational periods during a total of 42 separate call-outs, according to a media release from the organization.

“While 2018 falls just short of the previous year’s record number of tasks and task hours, it easily surpasses the number of operational periods to set a new team record,” the release states. That means there was a spike in the number of days volunteers spent on tasks. In total, there were eight tasks which required more than one day than the three multi-day tasks in 2017.

The number of kilometres logged by Kamloops Search and Rescue vehicles fell by 5,000 last year, indicating most of last year’s searches were closer to Kamloops compared to 2017.

Search and rescue president Alan Hobler says in the release they have seen two of their busiest years in 2017 and 2018, and are anticipating 2019 will be equally busy.

Volunteers train throughout the year so they are prepared to respond to any call out they are asked to attend by emergency crews, and have recently recruited 11 more volunteers who will start training later this month.

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