Having signed on with Campbell River Search and Rescue (CRSAR) in 1992, Grant Cromer is now one of the longest-serving members of the team.
“Nobody told me to leave,” he jokes.
“I’m still here.”
Grant, who is a career nurse, serves as one of the managers and also handles some of the ground search and rescue training, focussing his efforts on rope rescues and swift water rescues.
He remembers his training as pretty informal when he joined up. In the time since, things have advanced significantly, as members typically take part in certified courses now.
“The whole training program has come a long way,” he says.
The CRSAR team has also grown and has just added 17 new recruits to the team of about 40 — all the more important because search and rescue is nobody’s day job and not everyone may be readily available to help out when duty calls.
“We’re all volunteer, so we make do,” he says.
As well as working out of the local office, Grant has devoted time to working with the provincial organization and recently finished his term as North Island regional director for the B.C. Search and Rescue Association.
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