A jury has made nine recommendations to Emergency Management BC and the BC Search and Rescue Association after an inquest into the death of search volunteer, Sheilah Sweatman.
29 year old Sweatman was performing a recovery operation with Nelson's Search and Rescue unit when she drowned in Creston in June 2011.
She was trying to recover a body from a submerged car.
Jury Recommendations:
To: Emergency Management British Columbia (EMBC) and the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA)
1. That Emergency Management British Columbia (EMBC) expand the existing Swift Water Task Force to include members of search and rescue operations as well as the RCMP, BC River Guides Association, BC River Outfitters Association, WorkSafe BC and any other appropriate stakeholders.
2. That EMBC and British Columbia Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA) develop universal standards for swift water rescue and recovery training to ensure consistent language and training applications. These universal standards would require all swift water training providers to conform to these prescribed standards.
3. That EMBC and BCSARA develop universal standards for swift water rescue and recovery equipment.
4. That an audit be conducted of all Search and Rescue (SAR) communities by BCSARA to ensure that each SAR community has the required equipment (including personal protective equipment) and training for their respective communities based on their unique areas. Where it is determined that there is a lack of the required equipment and/or training for that area, immediate consultation with BCSARA and EMBC must occur to determine steps to obtain the equipment and/or training with the goal of safety of all SAR members in BC.
5. That EMBC review and evaluate funding models to better support SAR operations, training and equipment similar to Volunteer Fire Departments’ funding.
6. That Swift Water teams use only their own equipment during search and rescue operations whenever possible. If any unfamiliar equipment is introduced into a task, a proper risk assessment must be completed. The appropriate tools for self rescue and companion rescue must be immediately accessible.
7. That the Volunteer Policy and Procedures Manual specifically the policy for “Utilization of SAR Volunteers for SAR Activities Policy” be reviewed by EMBC to clarify and amend, where required, the roles and responsibilities of varying agencies involved in SAR activities. These groups include, but are not limited to SAR, Policing agencies, Coroner, Parks Canada, BC Ambulance and Fire Services.
8. That during an operation, a specific Safety Officer be designated whenever possible. This Safety Officer’s position will be their sole function.
9. That EMBC with the assistance of the SAR stakeholders develop a standardized risk assessment tool for use in Swift Water operations.
