British ColumbiaNorth Peace Search and Rescue says it’s now ready for the winter, after moving into a new facility in Fort St. John to help with equipment management and volunteer training.New facility will allow the SAR volunteer team to store and maintain equipment indoorsTom Summer · CBC News · Posted: Oct 12, 2025 9:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 31 minutes agoThe new facility has space for equipment storage and maintenance, including vehicles like this Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV), also known as a side-by-side. North Peace Search and Rescue have outfitted this model with durable tracks for snow and mud, with a rack inside capable of suspending a patient in a rescue basket stretcher. (Tom Summer/CBC)North Peace Search and Rescue (NPSAR) says it’s now ready for the winter, after moving into a new facility in Fort St. John to help with equipment management and volunteer training.”Before it was outside in the cold, in the snow and in the dirt,” said NPSAR president Brian Lamond of the group’s operations.NPSAR volunteers have to be trained for specialty rescues, including those requiring helicopters. The new hall, located along 100 Avenue, allows volunteers to be deployed more quickly, store specialized gear more effectively and keep vehicles sheltered from cold weather.”The new facility makes a world of difference for us,” said Sandy Ross, NPSAR search manager. The volunteer group serves northeast B.C. and responds to mutual-aid calls in Fort Nelson, the Northern Rockies, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, and Tumbler Ridge — a region that encompasses hundreds of kilometres of wilderness. The newly opened North Peace Search and Rescue hall is pictured, located on 100 Avenue in Fort St. John. The facility keeps vehicles sheltered from cold weather and allows volunteers to dispatch more effectively. (Tom Summer/CBC)About 40 members currently volunteer with the organization, and Lamond says the new space is a boost to team morale.Lamond says the new facility was made possible with support from the City of Fort St. John, but wouldn’t disclose its cost. Work on the hall began in June 2024.”A lot of appreciation goes out to mayor and council for supporting us in the purchase of this building and supporting us all the way along in getting us in here and getting it response ready,” he said.Previously, NPSAR operated out of a city public works building on Cree Road, with no room to store vehicles indoors.North Peace Search and Rescue president Brian Lamond is pictured inside the team’s technical rescue trailer, which stores gear used for swift-water rescues. (Tom Summer/CBC)NPSAR has had 27 calls for service this year, an increase compared to previous yearly averages of 20 to 25. The group’s focus has shifted from searching to rescuing in recent years, explained Lamond, with calls for snowmobile and off-road vehicle incidents, swift water rescue, rope rescue and tracking.ABOUT THE AUTHORTom Summer is a reporter for CBC News in Fort St. John. Born and raised in the Peace Country, he previously reported for the Alaska Highway News, covering community issues, courts, municipal politics, and Site C, while travelling across Northeast B.C. working on the traditional territory of Treaty 8 First Nations. You can reach him at tom.summer@cbc.ca
Fort St. John search and rescue group winter-ready with new base
