New Member Information

From PCSAR

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-	<h1>Welcome New Members!</h1>	+	<big><big>'''Welcome New and Prospective Members!'''</big></big>
-	This page provides our New Member Package.	+	We're very glad you want to be part of Pincher Creek Search and Rescue.
-	A hard copy is available and can be found in	+	This page provides our package of information for people who want to or have just joined Search and Rescue in the Pincher Creek area.
-	the membership binder which is at the regular meetings.	+
-	== Recruitment brochure ==	+	A paper copy of this information can be found in
		+	the personnel binder which is at the [[calendar|regular meetings]].
		+	You can print out copies for yourself or new packages for others
		+	from [[New Member Package|the individual documents]].
-	You can print out our Recruitment Brochure from [[Media:PCSAR Doc-108 Recruitment Brochure.pdf|this link]].	+	Whether you've already decided to join, or just want to check us out,
		+	please come out to our next regular training night. These are the first Tuesday of every month at 19:00 (7pm) at the Pincher Creek fire hall.
-	== Page 1 ==	+	== Recruitment brochure ==
-		+
-	NEW MEMBERS	+
-		+
-	Please read this information package. In it you will find	+
-	* Welcome and basic information	+
-	* Fitness and Well Being Policy	+
-	* Public Relations Policy	+
-	* Personnel Record	+
-	* Resource Checklist	+
-	* Expense Invoice	+
-		+
-	Fill out the Personnel Record and the Resource Checklist and	+
-	return them to Dave Scott, Membership Co-ordinator. Or, file them in	+
-	the membership binder in the alphabetical section according to your	+
-	last name.	+
-		+
-	The binder is usually available at all meetings for you to enter	+
-	any changes to your personal information as well as your recent	+
-	participation. Participation involves any SAR event, whether a	+
-	meeting, course, mock search, actual search, barbeque, etc. Fill it	+
-	in with the date of the activity on your Personnel Record sheet.	+
-	Keeping this current is YOUR responsibility. That info is then	+
-	entered into the main database which generates all kinds of	+
-	material for us.	+
-		+
-	The Expense Invoice is what you will return to the treasurer for	+
-	financial re-imbursement after an actual search. These forms are	+
-	available from the Command Post overhead team when you leave a	+
-	search or attend the search debriefing. Remember to ask for	+
-	one.	+
-		+
-	== Page 2 ==	+
-		+
-	Welcome to Pincher Creek SAR.	+
-		+
-	Meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month. The	+
-	executive meets at 6:00 pm and the general meeting and training	+
-	session is held at 7:00 pm. You are welcome to attend both.	+
-		+
-	Attendance sheets (Personnel Record) are kept by Dave Scott.	+
-	Please complete the one in this package. This is kept up to date BY	+
-	YOU so that we know what your current training is and the	+
-	experience that you have. This information is used to put your name	+
-	on the call out sheet in the proper category of "emergency",	+
-	"resource", etc. For every meeting, search call-out, or other SAR	+
-	activity that you attend, enter it and the date of that	+
-	participation on your page so that we can keep the records of your	+
-	involvement current. It is your responsibility to do this. These	+
-	records of involvement (without your name attached) also become	+
-	part of the ongoing statistics of "man hours" volunteered in SAR.	+
-	The more of these represented, the more we are valued and the	+
-	easier it is to secure funding from the province.	+
-		+
-	The ready pack is the most essential part of all our equipment.	+
-	Following is a list of the basics that should be included in your	+
-	pack. Of course, variations are made according to the individuals	+
-	training and needs;	+
-		+
-	* Compass (maps provided)	+
-	* First aid kit (personal)	+
-	* Matches and butane lighter	+
-	* Candle	+
-	* Headlamp and spare battery	+
-	* Flashlight and spare battery	+
-	** (Two sources of light is a must, three is preferred!)	+
-	* Pen, pencil, and note pad	+
-	* Repair kit - duct tape, wire, fishing line, etc.	+
-	* Knife	+
-	* Whistle	+
-	* Binoculars	+
-	* Water bottle - full	+
-	* Emergency bivouac (shelter)	+
-	* Emergency food	+
-	* power bars candies etc.	+
-	* Weather gear - clothing (rain coat, hat, winter cloths, etc.)	+
-	* Disposable camera (optional)	+
-	* Zip lock baggies	+
-		+
-	This is just a basic list. You can add and subtract as you see	+
-	necessary, just keep in mind that you may need to carry this a long	+
-	way so watch the weight! *Be prepared to stay out for 24 hours and	+
-	remember that the weather can change!	+
-		+
-	Call outs are what we prepare for. Generally, the way that it	+
-	happens is: A "tasking agency" ( the RCMP, fire department, etc.)	+
-	will contact us and the callout sheets are used to contact members	+
-	according to the type of search required (example; snowmobiles,	+
-	horses, foot search, etc.); volunteers are also needed in a number	+
-	of logistical support functions. These calls can come at any time	+
-	and usually give you about 1 hour notice, so try to have your ready	+
-	pack and "stuff" prepared at all times. This mainly means keeping	+
-	track of what you are carrying and change it according to the	+
-	season we are in (example: snow mitts versus sun screen). One more	+
-	thing to keep in mind when you are called out is that	+
-	CONFIDENTIALITY IS A MUST right from the initial callout. When	+
-	working with the RCMP you are on their team and you will become	+
-	privy to information that you must not share as it may hinder their	+
-	investigation. When called, be prepared to know very little. You	+
-	will be told where we are all meeting, where you are headed	+
-	(general), and possibly a bit about the situation (example: child	+
-	missing). At the meeting place, we typically have a briefing. Here	+
-	you will find out where we are going and what we will be required	+
-	to do.	+
-		+
-	Training is scheduled throughout the year with the regular	+
-	monthly meeting being primarily a training session of some nature.	+
-	Russell Bruder is our training co-ordinator and usually gives us	+
-	about 2 months notice of any special course training. The training	+
-	announcements will be passed on to you by your monthly fan-out	+
-	contact person and are also now available on our website	+
-	pcsar.webhop.org. Once at the website find your way to, and click	+
-	on, “wiki” then, “Calendar”. Usually a	+
-	contact number will accompany that info so you can register for the	+
-	course. But the best source of information will come through	+
-	meeting attendance.	+
-		+
-	Participation is what makes this group work. We realize that not	+
-	everyone can attend everything but we feel it is important to make	+
-	an effort to keep up to date with what is happening in the group.	+
-	If you have any questions, feel free to call our board members,	+
-	listed on the website above.	+
-		+
-	Once again, we would like to welcome you to Pincher Creek SAR.	+
-	By belonging to this group, you will be providing a service to the	+
-	community that is extremely valuable. In the event of a search,	+
-	most people do not realize how important the volunteers are.	+
-		+
-	== Page 3 ==	+
-		+
-	===How To Contribute===	+
-	Pincher Creek SAR is very appreciative of the ways you support	+
-	the organization. We try to make it easy for you to contribute to	+
-	the degree that you feel comfortable. This document is a summary of	+
-	the ways you can be involved in Pincher SAR. The details are in the	+
-	policies adopted by the organization. You can get a copy of those	+
-	policies by asking any board member. To maintain your basic	+
-	membership (associate membership), you must be involved in one	+
-	activity of any nature, in support of Pincher SAR at least once a	+
-	year. That could be a meeting, a search, a training exercise, a	+
-	course, a task or anything else like that. General meetings are	+
-	held the first Tuesday of every month at 19:00 (7:00 pm) for a few	+
-	minutes before the training. To be able to vote at general	+
-	meetings, you need to have attended two general meetings in the	+
-	last 12 months. Voting membership is approved, usually	+
-	automatically, by the board. Elections for the board are held in	+
-	October. Any voting member can run and is highly encouraged. To be	+
-	called for a search, you need to maintain your SAR Fundamentals	+
-	certification. The certification course is held over 2 weekends	+
-	once a year. You can also attend a course outside of Pincher Creek.	+
-	To maintain your certification, you need to participate in two	+
-	searches or mock searches every year. In order to be called about	+
-	training activities or be called for a search you must keep your	+
-	contact information up to date with the Membership Coordinator.	+
-	Your contact, as well as other types of information, is in the	+
-	Membership binder which is available at meetings. Always keep that	+
-	info up to date. If you don't have an answering system, you may	+
-	miss some messages. Regular monthly information is commonly	+
-	circulated via email. Be sure to include that address if you have	+
-	one. There are many things we do to keep the organization able to	+
-	do its work in the field. If you feel interested in any of these	+
-	areas, your help will be appreciated. Let any board member know,	+
-	and they can help you get involved.	+
-		+
-	* Emergency phoning	+
-	* Non-emergency phoning, informing our members	+
-	* Board meetings	+
-	* Working at the command post	+
-	* Secretarial work	+
-	* Treasurer's work	+
-	* Auditing books	+
-	* Fund Raising	+
-	* Organizing or helping with training	+
-	* Teaching our members in some subject area	+
-	* Teaching prevention in schools	+
-	* Organizing social activities	+
-	* Coordinating care and purchase of equipment	+
-	* Preparing plans for various emergency scenarios	+
-		+
-	==Page 4==	+
-	=== FITNESS AND WELL BEING POLICY ===	+	The first thing you may encounter is our recruitment brochure.
		+	You can print it out from [[Media:PCSAR Doc-108 Recruitment Brochure.pdf|this PDF link]].
-	In a search who is most important?	+	[[Image:PCSAR Doc-108 Recruitment Brochure.pdf|page=1|900px]]
-	* 1 - You	+	[[Image:PCSAR Doc-108 Recruitment Brochure.pdf|page=2|900px]]
-	* 2 - Your Team	+
-	* 3 - Potential Survivor	+
-	Things you must consider before becoming involved in a search:	+	== Overview ==
-	# Today, am I physically capable of going into the field and searching? You do not want to jeopardize your own safety or your teams' safety. If there is any doubt, do not go into the field.	+
-	# Today, am I mentally capable to be a searcher? If your mind is clogged with something else (trouble at work, home, run down by sickness, or lack of sleep), do you think you could effectively search? Do you thing you could effectively work the IC?	+
-	"Your team is only as strong as its weakest member"	+	[[Image:PCSAR Doc-113 New Member Package.pdf|page=1|1000px]]
-	=== MEDIA POLICY ===	+	== Basic information ==
-	Things to remember:	+	[[Image:PCSAR Doc-113 New Member Package.pdf|page=2|1000px]]
-	# Be aware of your environment. You do not always know who is around you (media, family, and friends of potential survivor).	+
-	# Voices carry farther thank you think, and when using a radio remember that everyone is listening.	+
-	# No one speaks to the media, unless instructed by the SAR Manager or a RCMP Officer.	+
-	# There will be a media liaison setup by the SAR Management group.	+
-	# You may be asked by SAR Management to help the media, and there will be instructions on what to do.	+
-	# Be careful whom you talk to, an innocent question by someone could turn into a harmful quote in the local paper, television, or on the radio.	+
-	We are professional volunteers, so we must act professional.	+	[[Image:PCSAR Doc-113 New Member Package.pdf|page=3|1000px]]
-	Saying or doing something stupid or silly in the relative security	+
-	(term used loosely) of base camp can go very wrong!	+
-	== Page 5 ==	+	[[Image:PCSAR Doc-113 New Member Package.pdf|page=4|1000px]]
-	=== Public Relations Policy ===
-	Pincher Creek SAR adopted August 2001
		+	== Training for New Members ==
		+	{{:Training/New Members}}
		+	== Fitness and Well-Being Policy ==
-	Our Search and Rescue	+	[[Image:PCSAR Doc-114 Fitness and Well-Being Policy.pdf|page=1|1000px]]
-	group deals with situations where people's lives can hang in the	+
-	balance.	+
-	The group must strive for the very best relationship with	+	== Media Policy ==
-	the public and the organizations with which it deals. We cannot	+
-	afford to have individuals or organizations hesitate to call upon	+
-	us or to work with us in resolving an emergency.	+
-	For this reason,	+	[[Image:PCSAR Doc-115 Media Policy.pdf|page=1|1000px]]
-	we do not take sides on any controversy in the community. Our SAR	+
-	group holds no opinion on matters outside of Search and Rescue and	+
-	the Civil Emergency Response. We welcome members regardless of	+
-	their apparent alignment to any faction or clique; we judge them	+
-	solely on their contributions to the Search and Rescue effort.	+
-	Our	+	== Public Relations Policy ==
-	group is judged not only by its formal organizational face, but by	+
-	the actions of its members. Whenever we wear the Search and Rescue	+
-	name, whether on a coat or hat or on our vehicle, whenever we say	+
-	we are Search and Rescue volunteers, we are associating ourselves	+
-	with Search and Rescue and our actions will reflect on the SAR	+
-	group. At these times we should	+
-	* be prepared to help out in any emergency within the limits of our training and ability,	+
-	* be respectful of others, and,	+
-	* if offering an opinion, clearly distinguish when we are reflecting the policies of the SAR group and when we are expressing our own views.	+
-	When we work or	+	[[Image:PCSAR Doc-116 Public Relations Policy.pdf|page=1|1000px]]
-	train for emergencies, we inevitably build relationships with	+
-	people in positions of authority. As SAR volunteers we respect the	+
-	privilege of having these relationships and only request special	+
-	treatment when needed to deal with emergencies, training and	+
-	education.	+
-	As volunteers, we put a lot of time, effort, and soul
-	into Search and Rescue. It is often tempting to seek out the
-	appreciation of the community by making it clear how much we
-	individually have contributed -- by saying in effect "look at me,
-	look at what I have done." However, it is largely impossible to put
-	ourselves forward without some people seeing it as self-promoting.
-	So this we are asked to give up for the benefit of the SAR group.
-	At times we will feel under appreciated. The thanks we receive,
-	although welcome will be infrequent and from some sources
-	altogether missing. This too we are asked to suffer quietly.
-	We	+	== Expense Form ==
-	give up the desire for special recognition and treat our role in	+	You can print the pdf expense form [[Media:Doc-068-invoice.pdf|here]].
-	Search and Rescue with reverence. We willingly do so in order to	+
-	have the very best relationship with the public and other	+
-	organizations with which we work and on which we rely in an	+
-	emergency.	+
-	These things we do, that others may live.	+	== Criminal Record Check Request form ==
		+	You can print the pdf form to request a Criminal Record Check Request from one of these links
		+	* [[Media:Members:Doc-123-criminal-record-check-request-signed.pdf|already signed]]
		+	* [[Media:Members:Doc-123-criminal-record-check-request.pdf|not yet signed]] ([[PCSAR Doc-123 Criminal Record Check Request|Doc-123]])
-	== Additional pages ==	+	If the date on the pre-signed form is more than 6 months old, it might not be accepted.
		+	Better to print out the unsigned form and get it signed
		+	by a member of the board, the membership committee or the Administrator
		+	before you take it to the RCMP.
-	In addition to these pages, a Personnel Record sheet, Resource	+	== Personnel Record ==
-	Checklist, and Expense Form are in the hardcopy package.	+	You can print the pdf personnel record form
		+	[[Media:PCSAR Doc-112 Personnel Record.pdf|here]].
		+	== Recruitment Tactics Questionnaire ==
		+	{{:PCSAR Doc-128 Recruitment Tactics Questionnaire/Form}}
		+	== Policy ==
		+	The formal membership policy is available [[Policies/Membership|here]].

---

Current revision

Welcome New and Prospective Members!

We're very glad you want to be part of Pincher Creek Search and Rescue.

This page provides our package of information for people who want to or have just joined Search and Rescue in the Pincher Creek area.

A paper copy of this information can be found in the personnel binder which is at the regular meetings. You can print out copies for yourself or new packages for others from the individual documents.

Whether you've already decided to join, or just want to check us out, please come out to our next regular training night. These are the first Tuesday of every month at 19:00 (7pm) at the Pincher Creek fire hall.

Contents 1 Recruitment brochure 2 Overview 3 Basic information 4 Training for New Members 5 Fitness and Well-Being Policy 6 Media Policy 7 Public Relations Policy 8 Expense Form 9 Criminal Record Check Request form 10 Personnel Record 11 Recruitment Tactics Questionnaire 12 Policy

[edit] Recruitment brochure

The first thing you may encounter is our recruitment brochure. You can print it out from this PDF link.

[edit] Overview

[edit] Basic information

[edit] Training for New Members

New members of Pincher SAR are expected to meet the provincial requirements of:

• ICS 100 -- a 3-hour online course that introduces how people are organized during an "incident"
• SAR Basics -- a 40-hour course, held in Pincher Creek in the fall and Lethbridge in the spring
• Standard First Aid or higher -- you can get this anywhere you want. Pincher SAR will pay up to $150 of the course fee of those that complete it. Every few years Pincher SAR offers the more advanced Wilderness First Aid

Members of our sister organization, the Community Response Group, need not meet all of these requirements. We however encourage them to take the training anyway as it means you can be deployed in more circumstances.

[edit] Fitness and Well-Being Policy

[edit] Media Policy

[edit] Public Relations Policy

[edit] Expense Form

You can print the pdf expense form here.

[edit] Criminal Record Check Request form

You can print the pdf form to request a Criminal Record Check Request from one of these links

• already signed
• not yet signed (Doc-123)

If the date on the pre-signed form is more than 6 months old, it might not be accepted. Better to print out the unsigned form and get it signed by a member of the board, the membership committee or the Administrator before you take it to the RCMP.

[edit] Personnel Record

You can print the pdf personnel record form here.

[edit] Recruitment Tactics Questionnaire

Search and Rescue wants to get better at reaching out to recruits like you. Please help us by providing a little information about what brought you here.

Your name?

How did you hear about the volunteer search and rescue that happens around Pincher Creek?

How did you figure out how to contact us?

What motivates you to want to join?

[Administrator, please forward this completed information to the Membership Committee.]

[edit] Policy

The formal membership policy is available here.