Chilliwack Search and Rescue members (in red) chat with visitors during an open house and recruitment information session at their new headquarters on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
People filled the new Chilliwack Search and Rescue headquarters on the weekend for an open house and recruitment info session.
It was the first time the volunteer-run organization opened its doors for public to see the new building, which was completed in the spring of 2025.
For those interested in joining the team, it was also a chance to hear more about what SAR does.
Chilliwack SAR recruits once every two years, and this year’s deadline to submit an application is Saturday, Feb. 7.
About six to eight people are recruited every two years which keeps their membership at 40-50, the number needed to respond to emergencies in the Chilliwack area.
They respond to more than 100 calls for service each year, which range from one or two hours, and can go up to six or seven hours in length.
“It’s quite a commitment,” said search manager Dave Casey, who has been with Chilliwack SAR for 20 years.
Every recruitment, they get about 50-60 applications. That’s narrowed down to around 20 interviews from which they might pick six to eight new members.
“The application is only the initial step in a multi-stage process,” according to a Chilliwack SAR social media post. “Potential candidates will move through personal conversations, group hikes, criminal record checks, and panel interviews before only a few are offered a spot on the team.”
It is a “competitive process,” Casey said.
The team gathers every Wednesday for about two to three hours to do training, maintenance, or for meetings. They are highly skilled at rope rescues, swift-water rescues, hiking and more.
Members who complete at least 200 hours of eligible service per year can claim a tax credit. With training hours plus the time spent on calls, the majority of SAR members easily make that 200-hour minimum. There’s one member who logs more than 1,000 hours per year on average, Casey noted.
Despite the hundreds of hours each member puts in every year, volunteering and helping out in the community is important, he added.
“For me, it’s a good way to do something in the community and I love being out in the wilderness,” Casey said.
For more about Chilliwack Search and Rescue, or to submit an application, go to chilliwacksar.org. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7.
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