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Calgary Search and Rescue Association looking for new members

The Calgary Search and Rescue Association is on the hunt for people — to join their ranks.

The volunteer rescue group is holding a recruitment session at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the city's Multi-Agency Training Centre in southeast Calgary.

"We usually target having around 100 members," president Robert Wambold told The Calgary Eyeopener. "We're down to about 70. We've had a few people leave over the last 18 months so it's time to bring in some new people and get them trained."

The group does a lot more than find wayward hikers, said Wambold.

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"We do wilderness searches and stuff inside the city with evidence searches for the city police," he said. "We do public education ... teaching people how to properly prepare for going out into the wilderness."

Anyone wanting to join the volunteer organization has to be 18 or older, already have a standard first aid certificate and be able to pass a Calgary police background check.

"We'll teach you anything you need to know," he said. "We can teach anyone their basic search and rescue skills, basic survival skills, basic communications skills. We want someone who can spend at least a couple of hours on their feet."

Time is the biggest commitment members make, said Wambold.

"We need to have people who have some flexibility," he said. "You will get calls at two o'clock in the morning, you'll get calls just as you sit down to eat, you'll get calls in the middle of the afternoon while you're at work and you have to see if you can arrange to get out of work and go search."

Basic training takes about 60 hours to complete and will take place in April in the evenings and two weekends.

Once recruits pass the basic search and rescue course, they are expected to put in a minimum of 40 hours per year in courses, meetings and searches.

"The average we see for our members is probably closer to 90 to 100 hours per year."

Wambold said potential members need to be aware searches can sometimes involve looking for human remains or evidence of a crime.

"There's a couple of interview questions that include whether they've thought of that," he said.

"Before we go out on a search we're always briefed on what we're looking for, what the potential is to what we may be finding. If anybody is uncomfortable with that, they're always welcome to either help at the base camp, or just decline for that day."

Members can also be called out in adverse weather conditions.

"That's another reason why we target having around 100 members, it always gives us a good base," he said. "Not all 100 show up on the searches, we probably average closer to 20."

The rewards vary for different members.

"I find you get out what you put into it," said Wambold. "You get some very interesting experiences you wouldn't otherwise, you get to meet some very interesting people."

"And it's a very rewarding feeling when you actually help reunite lost family members."

With files from The Calgary Eyeopener