Vernon Search and Rescue will pull its service if the province doesn't address liability concerns by the volunteer groups around BC. Executive member Kelly Carnochan says after much discussion, the group decided to continue operations but only if the provincial emergency program agrees to find solutions to the legal issue within the next 60 days. Carnochan tells KISS FM, "We know we have to sit down at the table and get this resolved. It's not just our group. There's about 90 groups in BC. Vernon is fortunate enough that we can pay for our own liability insurance but there's probably 40 smaller groups that cannot pay for their own insurance." Carnochan says the insurance works out to about $1,600 annually for their team, which responds to an average of 40 incidents a year. Some BC rescue crews have stopped operating --or are considering it-----after a Quebec skier named Golden search and rescue in a lawsuit.
Golden Search and Rescue plans to suspend service. Kimberley's search team took the same action last week but is now back in operation while, in Fernie, the search and rescue society's board of directors has resigned but the team can still be called out. Chris Duffy with the provincial emergency program says the government is working with all rescue squads on the legal issue.
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