Take a tour of a Cessna Skylane and learn about search and rescue operations

Air search and rescue volunteers in Niagara are holding an open house to showcase the skills and technology they depend on to do their work.

They fly, they float, they find and rescue people in trouble, and now you can meet the dedicated local volunteers who help keep our community safe.

The Civil Air Search And Rescue Association of Niagara will be at the Niagara District Airport on Saturday, April 27, to give the public the opportunity to see the sophisticated equipment used in search and rescue operations, examine aircraft and even win a chance for a familiarization flight over St. Catharines in the group’s Cessna 182 Skylane aircraft (weather permitting).

Visitors will learn and experience “ground homing” technology, tour the Cessna 182, and visit the group’s mobile command vehicle.

The focus of this year’s event is water safety, and the volunteers of South Shore Search And Rescue will be on hand to illustrate the group’s safety equipment, distribute boating safety gear and conduct a competition that simulates a real rescue. Kids of all ages will also have the opportunity to have their photos taken with JJ, the group’s rescue dummy. “So much of the good work these organizations do goes on far from the public eye,” explains Randy Klaassen, spokesperson for CASARA Niagara. “This is a chance for us to showcase what we do, and meet members of the community who may rely on us for help one day. It’s fun, it’s educational and free for everyone.”

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Niagara District Airport (Airport Road and Niagara Stone Road, NOTL). Parking is free and refreshments will be available.

The local search and rescue organization is a non-profit charity providing an organized and trained group of volunteers to aid and assist the Department of National Defence in the conduct of search and rescue, and in the promotion of public awareness of the Search and Rescue System. Based at Niagara District Airport, says Klaassen.

Niagara volunteers perform both air and ground search operations across Ontario. In operation since 1977, the Niagara unit was a founding member of CASARA National. More than half the operational budget comes from member and community donations.

South Shore Search And Rescue is a community-based volunteer emergency service that responds to rescue calls in western Lake Ontario, serving the communities along the south shore from a base in Fifty Point. More than 30 active volunteers maintain a fully-equipped rescue vessel and train year-round to hone the skills and readiness to be effective on the water, explains Klaassen. The South Shore organization is a member of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary and a registered charity and receives no sustaining funding from any level of government.