Established in 1972, Coquitlam Search and Rescue team of 53 volunteers serves nearly 540,000 people, going out on search and rescue missions in the Tri-Cities communities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore, Belcarra, Burnaby and New Westminster. In 2020, Coquitlam SAR responded to 86 incidents and spent 9,154 volunteer hours.
The team makes the commitment to be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on a year-round basis, and is often called to work in darkness and bad weather, with team members frequently taking time off from their jobs to attend searches, and paying for much of their own gear. Rescue missions typically involve extreme situations requiring a variety of life-saving equipment.
How TB Vets donors help Coquitlam SAR
The generous support of TB Vets donors has allowed Coquitlam Search and Rescue to purchase a King Vision video laryngoscope, a Pulse Oximeter and an Emergency Mainstream Analyzer (EMMA). These are essential pieces of equipment that will greatly improve the team’s ability to assist patients.
The lightweight respiratory equipment funded by TB Vets for Coquitlam SAR
The video laryngoscope is designed to enable quick and easy intubation, providing a clear real-time view of patient’s airways, and will be used in rescue operations where a patient has obstructed airways, such as drowning.
Pulse oximeters measure the oxygen level in the blood. It is an easy, painless way to measure how well oxygen is being sent to parts of the body furthest from the heart, allowing the rescuer to determine the patient’s ability to handle a rescue safely.
The Emergency Mainstream Analyzer (EMMA) monitors the respiratory rate. Powered by batteries, EMMA’s portability allows for easy use during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and intubation.
Search and Rescue teams play a vital role in keeping people safe, and it is thanks to the generosity of the community, like the funds from TB Vets donors, that they are able to serve their communities. *
*Photo Credit: Coquitlam Search and Rescue
