Volunteer workshop series being offered in Shelburne County

The president of Nova Scotia Ground Search and Rescue Association says a lack of provincial funding and the relentless pressure on members to fundraise for basic equipment is killing the group of 1,260 volunteers.

“I have 23 teams across the province and eight of those teams don’t even have a building to train in, park their equipment in,” said Tom Fitzpatrick.

Each team receives $3,000 in annual funding from the province. The association is also facing a serious shortage of members in rural communities, he says.

“All of our volunteers have to buy their own work gear, that’s $1,200 worth of gear, boots and clothing. The trucks and radio command posts, we buy those ourselves. We have to fundraise and this is what is killing our association.”

The association falls under the jurisdiction of the province’s Emergency Management Office, a division of the Department of Justice.

Last year, ground search and rescue teams conducted 67 searches across the province. Earlier this month, six teams were called in to assist in a Port Hood-area search for Colin Beaton whose body was recovered after four days. The local Inverness search team has only eight members and is one of the groups without a home base.

Fitzpatrick says the association has crunched the numbers and figures it provides the province $ 12.5 million in services and equipment hours, including $7.5 million in assets.

“We meet national standards for grounds search and rescue right across Canada. It takes hours to train and be proficient in using maps, compasses, and GPS search tactics. Then we ask those volunteers for hundreds of thousands of hours to help us raise money to buy equipment.”

Inverness MLA Allan MacMaster has agreed to meet with Fitzpatrick and the association’s executive members this summer to address the group’s funding shortfall. MacMaster was a cousin to Beaton and also participated in the search and rescue effort. That led him to Fitzpatrick and finding out about the challenges facing the association.

MacMaster says he’s aware the association needs more money and has pledged to push for more funding.

“They are a group of volunteers who are highly trained and as someone who went through having a loved one missing in our family, to know that those people are out there, you feel very grateful,” said MacMaster. “I feel a responsibility to try to give them the tools they need to do their job because they serve a vital role.”

Fitzpatrick says the group has pursued a limited pool of provincial and federal funding avenues through the National Search and Rescue Program and Emergency Services Provider Fund, but they are highly competitive and the money is not guaranteed.

“We asked the province where do we go here for more capital funding? We’re trying to do this nicely. All we’re asking for is sustainable capital funding. We just want to have an opportunity to talk about that with the province.”

Five workshops will be held over five weeks across Shelburne County during the months of September and October.

The workshop topics and locations are:

• Sept. 26: SUCCESSION PLANNING. Find your replacement. Tools and resources to promote, support and prepare for the inevitable leadership transitions will be explored. Workshop takes place at Crescent Beach Centre, 157 Locke St., Lockeport.

• Oct. 3: SOCIAL MEDIA. Step- by- step instructions to build your social media presence and become a social media player. Workshop to be held at the Municipality of Barrington admin building, 2447, Highway 3, Barrington.

• Oct. 10: MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. Learn basic budgeting (knowing your needs), fundraising for success, keeping track and the goods on grants and other fund sources. Workshop at CGC Fire Hall, 1634 Shore Road, Gunning Cove.

• Oct. 17: BOARD GOVERNANCE. Explore alternatives to current board models with a fresh approach to non-profit board governance. Workshop to be held at the Shelburne Community Centre, 63 King St., Shelburne.

• Oct. 24: RUNNING EFFECTIVE MEETINGS. Learn the ground rules for efficient meetings, conflict of interest, how to deal with sensitive issues and much more. Workshop to be held at the CBDC, 157 Water St., Shelburne.

These workshops are all supported by CBDC and the town and municipality of Shelburne, the Town of Lockeport and the Municipality of Barrington.

All sessions run from 9 a.m. to noon and include a nutrition break.

The cost is $10 per session of $40 for all five sessions (includes HST).

To register phone Lori Zwicker at 902-875-1133 or email lori. zwicker@cbdc.ca.

The registration deadline is one week prior to each session.