Member Accreditation

In partnership with our Association, the Ministry of Public Safety is responsible for the accreditation of search and rescue volunteers.

In order to be authorized to participate in a search operation on Quebec soil, volunteers must have completed a certification process.

In its desire to ensure high quality service, the AQBRS has adopted rigorous standards. More than 500 members already meet this standard.

For several years, the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) has brought together representatives from all provinces and territories to establish a national standard aimed at standardizing practices. Quebec was represented on this committee. This national standard is in line with our desire to increase the skill level of our members.

In June 2015, the new national standard was CSA approved. You can consult it by clicking on the next link.

This new standard has led us to modify our accreditation exams, making them more consistent with the training required of our members. The new examination was verified by the Sûreté du Québec and approved by the Ministry of Public Security.

Three skill levels:

In order to meet the new national standard, we will very soon have three skill levels, namely:

• Ground searcher;
• Leader;
• Search Manager.

Ground searcher:

The ground searcher exam is drawn from the basic skills required of our members in order to make them eligible for deployment. The implementation of this new examination should take place soon.

Please find attached an explanatory document.

Leader :

In March 2023, twenty members from different AQBRS groups participated in team leader training, in addition to the 90 members already trained in 2018. These team leaders are assigned as managers of a line search. They ensure that the search is carried out smoothly and efficiently. They receive their assignments from the police.

Search Manager:

Recognizing the expertise acquired by our volunteers, the AQBRS now has 23 search managers. Although the mandate for managing an operation is under police jurisdiction, the expertise of our members can be used for the benefit of municipal police services and families.