By Tyler Sutherland
Manitoba’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams will participate in an exercise near Brandon this weekend. (FILE)
A three-day training session near Brandon this weekend will put more than 100 members of Manitoba’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) through the ropes.
The outdoor exercise is designed to be as realistic as possible and will incorporate K-9 teams and specialized search equipment like cameras and listening devices in a simulated structural collapse. The USAR team will remain on site in a self-contained camp and command post that will include all season tents, water and galley supplies, and a satellite communications system.
“Our team is one of only four in Canada and I am proud that their hard work means they can be mobilized within hours and have the capacity to be self-sustaining for up to 10 days in any weather anywhere in the country,” said Labour and Immigration Minister Erna Braun. “The OFC staff running these exercises will keep our team up to date on their skills and the latest search and rescue technology and practices.”
The exercise — located on the site of the former Pelican Lake Training Centre — will give emergency service personnel more skills in many related fields of rescue, giving them the ability to function as a unique and independent team if necessary, the minister added.
