Alberta search and rescue groups are seeking liability protection after a search and rescue group in Golden, B.C. involved in a fatality ended up facing a lawsuit, says Alberta Emergency Management Agency.

Last year, a Montreal couple got lost in the backcountry in British Columbia. The RCMP admittedly failed to send search and rescue groups to look for them.
Marie-Josée Fortin, 44, died and her husband filed a lawsuit against the search and rescue group.

Alberta search and rescue groups have decided to push for amendments to the Emergency Management Act, Bill 6, to help protect themselves against similar situations. A bill protecting emergency workers from lawsuit has passed first reading in the Alberta legislature.

“That prompted the British Columbian search and rescue group to disband temporarily because they didn’t have the appropriate liability protection coverage,” said Tim Chander, Communications for Alberta Emergency Management Agency.

Chander said they have been working with Alberta Search and Rescue for 10 months to try and come up with some way to protect them against lawsuit.

“The amendments of the act will not prevent somebody from filing a lawsuit. What this will do is as long as the search and rescue team or personnel are providing their services in an emergency situation on good faith - which means to the best of their abilities - it will add some protection to them,” said Chander.

Chander says when search and rescuers go out to help someone, they shouldn’t have to worry about lawsuits. He said they don’t want search and rescue people to be second-guessing themselves.

Jasper National Park Public Safety Manager Steve Blake says the park doesn’t use volunteers, so the amendments will not affect the Jasper area.

“We have linkage to the search and rescue groups, and we definitely co-operate with them with stuff that is happening along the boundaries,” said Blake.

Rosemary Austin, Alberta public affairs officer, said currently if something happens and the family doesn’t feel the search and rescuers made the right decisions, they could launch a lawsuit.

“Currently RCMP and volunteer firefighters have liability insurance but search and rescue groups don’t,” said Austin.

“That is not at all what the government wants. Search and rescue is an important part of emergency response,” she said.

The Emergency Management Amendment Act passed its first reading in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, Feb. 22.

Chander says a side benefit of passing the bill is that it may help promote search and rescue recruitment in Alberta.