Search and Rescue Patches

Ground Search and Rescue responsibilities in Canada fall to the local police department with jurisdiction. For the most part this is the RCMP or provincial police agency as those departments patrol much of the wilderness areas in Canada. Given the large scale of most searches, police agencies alone cannot provide the necessary manpower to cover a given area or to conduct a large scale search and as such operate as an oversight body. Much of the search functions fall to "professional volunteer" organizations. The SAR teams train to high proficiency but are staffed by volunteer members who commit their own time and resources to the task under the direction of police. When a search is undertaken, these agencies generally answer to a call out system to be tasked and then respond from their respective centres.