Crews are about to make significant changes to Nanaimo Search and Rescue's headquarters on Fourth St. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

Long time coming

Crews begin drastic overhaul of Nanaimo SAR facility

Jan 26, 2021 | 12:12 PM

NANAIMO — An organization tasked with often grueling searches will soon have a much improved facility to deploy and coordinate its resources.

An expanded and tailored building storing all of Nanaimo Search and Rescue’s equipment under one roof will mean faster and more organized responses, Nanaimo SAR president Carly Trobridge said during the groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 26.

“This has been a six year project in the making, we’ve just be so restricted in our operations because of our facility. I don’t even know if we can put into words (how important this is) to be honest with you.”

Phase one of the $2.4 million interior and exterior upgrades are slated to be done later this year, with the entire project finishing in the fall of 2022.

Trobridge said incorporating a full training centre, offices and amenities to comfort members in the midst of lengthy searches will have a positive impact for years to come.

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She said fiddling with a boat suspended from the ceiling and moving other equipment in order to get the vessel down is one of numerous scenarios they can avoid in the future.

“This increases our response time, this allows all of our trucks to be inside and away from possible vandalism. It’s just more secure and much, much more expansive for us.”

Nanaimo SAR had looked at the possibility of building a new headquarters on City-owned property on Nanaimo Lakes Rd.

However, Trobridge said starting from scratch was cost prohibitive and renovating their home for the past decade made the most sense.

They’ll be able to use their hall during the renovation.

Nanaimo SAR and the City are splitting the costs.

The two parties struck a 25-year co-management agreement for the Fourth St. facility, which is an old fire hall later converted into a community centre.

Nanaimo SAR took over exclusive use of the building about a year ago.

A record 57 calls for help involving wilderness and urban searches for distressed people were responded to by Nanaimo SAR last year.

They’ve already responded to seven calls so far this year.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes