A word from our president

I welcome you to the AQBRS website. This site is frequently updated. It is intended for members of the Association but it also aims to raise awareness of the work of Quebec search and rescue volunteers.

The members of the board of directors are proud to see the growth of the AQBRS undertaken since our election in October 2013. In spring 2022, we agreed to remain in office for a fourth term in order to continue the work already undertaken.

Since then, thanks to sustained efforts, our organization and its member groups have confirmed their position as leaders in the search and rescue of missing persons. It is above all thanks to a collective effort that we can see such growth. I would like to highlight the partnership developed with the Canadian Association of Search and Rescue Volunteers (SARVAC), the Quebec Ministry of Public Security, the various police services and civil security stakeholders as we demonstrated during the final year by participating in five major exercises. I would also like to highlight the partnership recently concluded with the City of Montreal Fire Department regarding the use of dogs specially trained to search for rubble.

Far from resting on our laurels, members of the board of directors, regional coordinators and group leaders continue to work to develop the expertise of members in order to offer a professional service. We are happy to participate in the collective effort involving several civil security organizations which results in the involvement of our members during major disasters such as the floods of 2017, the Gatineau tornadoes in 2018 and the recent floods which affected several regions of Quebec.

We are particularly grateful for the assistance provided by the National Search and Rescue Secretariat which, for four years, has supported our efforts to ensure better service delivery. This important support allowed us to provide our members with individual safety equipment and to provide our regional coordinators with navigation, communication and training equipment. 

Since 2019, we have been able to count on financial support from the Quebec Ministry of Public Security. This support allows us greater operational autonomy in order to offer better service to the population.

 Guy Lapointe, president