Cave rescues happen rarely, but when they do, they require large numbers of trained volunteers. As a provincially recognized specialist SAR team, Alberta/British Columbia Cave Rescue organizes and trains those volunteers through its annual Cave Rescue Responder’s workshops. If you want to join cave rescue in Western Canada, or be able to help in the event of a major rescue call-out, this 20-hour workshop is for you. It is intended for experienced cavers or SAR personnel with rope rescue training; novice cavers with strong vertical skills are also welcome. The workshop is an introduction to the key disciplines of cave rescue:
| Rescue organization and management | Procedures for responding to call-out |
| Vertical and horizontal stretcher transport | Surface and in-cave communications |
| Patient sheltering and packaging for transport | Cave search and initial response techniques |
The workshop is designed around hands-on practice of skills and scenario-based learning, and culminates in an underground mock rescue. Certificates of completion are issued, but skill proficiency is not certified because no time is available for formal evaluation in the tight schedule. Proficiency in caving single rope techniques (SRT) is required for the workshop: Participants must be able to progress on rope in any direction, changeover in any direction mid-rope, and pass any mid rope obstacle in any direction (knots, rebelays, traverses, deviations, etc.)
The fee for the course is TBD for BCSF or ASS members; non-members can join a club and pay the associated membership fees at the time of registration. The fee includes a group campsite at Horne Lake Campground, a short drive away from the caves. The workshop schedule allows time for cooking breakfast and dinner, but field lunches are required for Monday and Tuesday. Full logistical details are provided at time of registration. Spaces in the workshop are not guaranteed until registration fees have been received; these fees are charged to cover organizational costs and equipment for cave rescue training and response in Western Canada.
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