Nelson Search and Rescue could become regional service
By Nelson Daily Editor
By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily
The people will now decide if they want Nelson Search and Rescue service established as a regular part of the services they now receive from the regional district.
An alternative approval process will take place Nov. 12 with Nelson, Salmo and Regional District of Central Kootenay areas E, F, and G residents taking part to determine if the 15,407 people in the voting area want to contribute financially to the service.
The maximum taxation for the service will be $35,000. It will be a contribution service for search and rescue and other services will be added as the need arises.
The bylaw would likely support NSR, but RDCK chief financial officer, Grant Roeland, said it could support any search and rescue organization in the area, if they apply.
“The bylaw establishes the right to tax for the service,” he said. “It does not name the recipients.”
A budget would be itemized as to who the recipients of the taxation revenue are, he said.
The money could support the fourth busiest search and rescue service in the province and give the NSR society a home.
Last year NSR fielded over 40 calls. They are in demand from Creston to Nakusp because of their specialty training in all forms of rescue.
The possibility of the establishment of the service means the society can finally pursue obtaining a lease on a site for their headquarters. All of the equipment for the society is stored at members’ homes, scattered from Nelson to Crescent Valley.
The fixed funding will allow NSR to enter into a lease for a building, freeing up money for more training, lessening the need for the group to have to keep scrambling to provide core funding.
NSR had targeted the North Shore Hall as the base of their operations.
Once they have a lease, the society can go to Columbia Basin Trust and the province’s Gaming Commission to put together money to build a storage facility, incorporating their heli-rescue trailer as well.
Area H will likely be brought into the service at a later date. There are three search and rescue groups currently providing service to geographic portions of Area H. The proposed contribution service models will provide funding flexibility to address the anomaly.
The AAP notice will be published in two consecutive weeks and provide the people with 30 days in which to respond, after the second publication.
