Beep..Beep..Beep....My pages goes off at 2 p.m. ( ahh, I mean 1400 hrs) on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It reads "we have a search for a lost subject near Whonnock creek", Yikes! My first search. I just found out that I made the team a week ago.

I grab my "ready pack" and head out the door yelling some dinner instructions to my husband. As I drive to the Base Command, I mentally run through things in my pack. Do I have what I need; compass, whistle, food, water, headlamp, extra clothes, rain gear, gloves, eye protection?

Upon arrival at the search location everyone is busy. "Hey you made it" someone calls to me. "Yes" I reply, "what should I do?". Our Search Manager tells me to "sign in" and get ready. Several teams are already out on tasks and I can hear their voices over the radio.

I'm assigned to a team with two experienced members. I'm in good hands I think to myself. My team leader briefs me about the situation, explains our assignment and shows me our search area on a map. We begin what I would learn later in my training is called, a Visual Sweep Search. Walking about 10 metres apart we look under leaves and fallen trees, in holes and gullys and repeatedly call out our subject’s name and listen for a response. We look for clues: footprints, an article of clothing, a dropped candy wrapper and any signs indicating someone traveled this way.

Its getting darker and colder. We stop to put on some warmer clothes and our headlamps. I think about our subject... how are they feeling now?

We continue with our assignment making our way through the rough terrain and calling out to the subject. As we get closer to the river, we yell louder and one of my team members does a whistle blast. Suddenly we hear cries for help. Someone has responded. I've got goosebumps the size of golf balls running down my spine. We radio base telling them our location and that we've heard cries for help. We shout to the subject that we are from Search and Rescue and to stay where they are. But that damned noisy river. The calls for help echo, they get harder to hear and seem to be moving further away from us.

Meanwhile, other teams are dispatched to our location and we hear over the radio that one of them has located the subject and is beginning to administer First Aid. One of the members of my team, a paramedic, quickly finds his way to the subject and takes over stabilizing the subject while the rest of us get blankets and equipment necessary to keep the subject warm until the Ambulance arrives.

As we walk back to the Base everyone buzzes with excitement and relief that the subject was found and will be okay. "That was awesome, what an amazing team" I say to myself as I head back. I sign out (a very important step I'm told to ensure that all searchers are accounted for), throw my stuff into my car and drive home to my family who no doubt are waiting patiently for dinner.

Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) training began the very next week for me and four other new recruits. We are officially know as MITs or Members in Training. As MITs we are on one year probation and must complete 100 hours of GSAR training taught by experienced members of Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue, and score 80% on a final exam.

The GSAR training module was developed through a collaborative effort of many organizations including Search and Rescue experts from across the Province, the Provincial Emergency Program and is published by the Justice Institute of BC. MITs are expected to attend 100% of GSAR training sessions which consist of both classroom and field exercises covering everything from how to use a map and compass, to "how to s*#t in the woods". We meet for training one evening a week and one Saturday a month in addition to being on call 24 hours 7 days a week to respond to calls.

Other aspects of being an MIT include participating in public relations and fund raising events. For example, my 3 year old son and I got to ride on the rescue boat during this years Santa Claus Parade. Boy did that win me brownie points with my son. My husband and I had a blast at the Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue Pub Night organized by the Teams Auxiliary Committee to raise funds for the team.

Did I mention that Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue, like all the others in the Province is a voluntary organization? It is made up of unpaid professionals who have the necessary skills and experience and are willing to donate their time and energy to provide search and rescue services in the community. Some of the members have been on the team for over 20 years. Funding for our equipment and training is generated by fund raising, grants, and donations.

Well, today I'm 4 months into the GSAR training and am looking forward to completing my solo overnight survival exercise. We're told this not only tests our survival skills but gives us some perspective of how a lost subject might feel.

Finally, my reason for joining this outfit in the beginning was to ride in helicopters more often. After all, that's what the ad in the newspaper showed when they recruited new members. They've told us we will take a helicopter to the top of Golden Ears as part of our training. It was canceled once already - maybe they're holding out that carrot till the very end. Stay tuned - I'll let you know how my solo survival goes, if I ever get that helicopter ride and if I pass my first exam.