Through four meetings in the southeast, a total of 220 volunteers signed up for a new search and rescue organization.

Katia Bigney, a local organizer of the new chapter of Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers (SARSAV) was pleased with the response from the public. Bigney said they had a good cross section of people interested in joining SARSAV.

“We have a complete cross section of people with lots of capabilities, and some prior experience in search and rescue,” Bigney said. “Safety certifications and training, and people interested in training people in the future.”

Different interest groups like snowmobiles and equine applied, she said.

Bigney said there are a lot of administrative steps between now and the time they can start functioning as an organization, and she said she will be keeping in touch with those who signed up. Sometime in the next week, those who were able to sign up will be getting emailed this week.

“Our next stage is to send out a membership application form, and that will be sent out with an email,” Bigney said.

People will need to complete a criminal record check including a vulnerable sector check, which should be free for the volunteer position within the organization.

“Then we’ll assign some dates for our next chapter meeting,” Bigney said, entering 220 emails and sending out application packages.

There are quite a few subcommittees that will need to be formed in order to properly organized.

They will be putting together a letter of intent to form at the provincial organization’s annual general meeting March 8. It’s hope they’ll get their charter that day, and Bigney isn’t anticipating any problems by that date.

“Then we’ll be an official chapter and then we’ll continue on and start getting people signed up with their membership fees… and get people signed up for training.”

Anyone further interested in the group who wasn’t able to make it out to one of last week’s meetings can email the group at SESK.SAR@gmail.com and visit their Facebook Page titled Southeast Search and rescue.