Ground Search & Rescue

The Emergency Management Office assists with the administration, coordination and training of Nova Scotia's Ground Search and Rescue (NSGSAR) teams. NSGSAR volunteers donate their time, energy and skill to search for people who have gone missing in wooded areas or along our coastlines. They often assist with community evacuations, searches for plane crash debris and evidence searches with local police. Some GSAR members teach wilderness survival and boating safety education programs for children and adults. They receive regular training. The 24 NSGSAR teams within Nova Scotia are affiliated through a provincial association which allows close cooperation among the search teams, EMO, Parks Canada, the RCMP and various municipal police agencies. Looking for Members GSAR teams are continually looking for people who want to serve their communities and enhance their skills. While their focus is searching for lost persons, there are a variety of volunteer opportunities for those who join a GSAR team. Anyone over the age of 18 who is interested in finding out more, should contact their local GSAR team or one of EMO’s four Emergency Management Planning Officers (click here for list). Nova Scotia Ground Search and Rescue Teams

Marking a Milestone. November 2009 marked the 40th anniversary of ground search and rescue in Nova Scotia. In November 1969, more than 400 volunteers searched for a 35-year-old father of five who had gone missing in a wooded area of the Cape Breton highlands. Thanks to the dedication and relentlessness of these volunteers, the man was found alive. Forty years later the Nova Scotia Ground Search and Rescue organization has grown to more than 1,100 volunteers.