Volunteerism in Global Search and Rescue

By Matthew Mitchell, Founder and CEO, International Association of Search and Rescue Coordinators (IASARC)

Although rendering aid to those in distress, whether on land or sea, is an inherently governmental responsibility, the majority of rescuers around the world are volunteers. These selfless heroes, hailing from a variety of charities, nonprofits, and non-governmental organizations (NGO), are the backbone of the world’s search and rescue (SAR) enterprise, without which, thousands would be lost every year. 

In the U.S. alone, there are several thousand emergency response organizations relying on volunteers to perform the myriad of components involved in SAR, ranging from planning a response to executing highly technical rescues. In certain regions, volunteers not only augment governmental employees, but provide the primary response capability. Some nations even rely utterly on charitable organizations to provide the lion’s share of rescue resources. For example, the Royal National Lifeboat Service (RNLI) is the U.K.’s largest charitable organization and provides nearly all of that nation’s maritime rescue capacity. Similarly, in New Zealand, the beef exporter Greenlea, maintains a nonprofit rescue helicopter service to perform some of the most challenging live-saving missions throughout the nation. 

And the role of volunteers and NGOs in SAR extends far beyond their invaluable contributions in direct lifesaving – they are actually guiding the direction of the SAR enterprise on the global level. Opening the recent International Search and Rescue (ISAR) Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mr. Roland Mckie, representing the world’s largest nonprofit SAR organization, the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF), spoke on the critical role of NGOs in driving SAR to ever-higher levels of performance. In their recent efforts, the IMRF has worked collaboratively with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to formalize standards for operators of rescue vessels or lifeboats. Such a collaborative approach between nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations should serve as a model approach for developing standards that advance the role of volunteers in SAR. 

In the U.S., the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recently come under fire from a number of U.S. senators regarding its proposed Emergency Response Standards, a more comprehensive replacement for the legacy Fire Brigade Standards promulgated in the 1980s. The concern stems from the proposed standards’ possible impact to volunteer organizations which operate on exceptionally limited funding. OSHA rightfully notes that the current standards, “do not address the full range of hazards facing emergency responders.” While the new standards target employees, it would include volunteers under many circumstances, such as those who may receive compensation for their service or those operating in states where volunteers are considered emergency response workers. If volunteers do fall under the new standards, it would generate a significant monetary burden on already cash-strapped nonprofit organizations. 

Concerning the potential impacts on volunteerism, the National Association of Search and Rescue, NASAR, notes that, “we really don't know at this point and will also likely depend on how your state implements OHSA rules.” Organizations like NASAR have long driven the advancement of SAR proficiency in U.S. and represent the critical mass of expertise in the lifesaving enterprise. Standards, such as those proposed by OSHA, must capitalize on the vast wealth of institutional knowledge and experience of the nonprofit SAR community in order to develop regulations which both promotes the role of volunteers in SAR while ensuring their safety. 

The volunteer lifesaver represents some of the best that humanity has to offer. There is no more noble desire than to come to the aid of someone in peril. Volunteers have, and will continue to be the backbone of saving lives around the world. 

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