Parks Canada attacks safety training from all angles

Parks Canada embarked on its biannual safety training last Wednesday by staging a mock emergency situation to which staff would respond.

The rescue team banded together, tackling the park landscape by helicopter, boat and on foot in search of two pretend victims in Ogre Canyon.

The day was modelled after a real-life emergency that happened two years ago, when two poorly equipped young men became stranded after descending into the canyon.

By chance, Brule’s fire chief was hiking and heard their calls for help, so they were rescued successfully.

But not everyone’s so lucky - a similar situation that happened about 35 years ago resulted in two fatalities.

Steve Blake, public safety specialist for Parks Canada, said Parks takes emergency situations as teaching opportunities.

“It boils down to common sense, but common sense is based on your experience,” he said. “Some people come out with high fives and holy cows and don’t realize how fortunate they are.”

Of the 200 safety occurrences Parks responds to each year, Blake said about 20 are rescues and that safety is a shared responsibility.

“How safe people can feel depends on their own level of preparedness,” he said. “In regards to high visitor use activities like short day hikes, I think you can feel very safe here. We put a lot of effort into risk management.”

Training in the spring focuses on search and rescue and in the winter on avalanches. The mock situations are altered from year to year in order to challenge staff.

About 30 people took park in the scenario, which required rescuers to use helicopter and rope rescue techniques as well as tackle rugged terrain and water environments.

“We got through all our specific objectives,” Blake added. “It was a highly successful day for us.”