Where does the opportunity to be a SAR Tech start?

SAR Technicians must have served a minimum of four years in the Regular Forces or in the Reserve Force prior to applying for a Voluntary Occupational Transfer (VOT) to attend the SAR Tech selection and Land Survival Course. Military background and training will vary from individual to individual. Both male and female Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members apply for VOT and those with the strongest personnel files will be offered the opportunity to attend selection. The file review is the first phase of selection conducted at the BPSO level.

CAF members apply from the Army, Navy and Air Force and are generally top performers in their respective branch / occupation. Highest levels of physical fitness are an expectation of all candidates that volunteer. SAR Technician candidate occupations range from Infantry, Medic, Combat Engineer, ACS Technician, Boatswain to Construction Engineers and Special Operations.

Further file review for selection is conducted by D Air Pers and the SAR Tech CWOs. This is the second phase of the selection process. Stronger personnel files will include specific skill sets that mirror SAR Tech prerequisites of training such as parachuting, mountaineering, diving and medical.

The CAF has about 140 SAR Techs; why only 140?

Occupation total numbers are set by the RCAF in support of the National SAR Mandate. A limiting factor to the total number of SAR Techs in the occupation is the specialised training that they must receive. The Canadian Forces School of Search and Rescue (CFSSAR) trains SAR Techs, specifically the Restricted Team Member (RTM), Restricted Team Leader (RTL) and Team Leader courses. Due to the specialised training requirements, a maximum course load of 16 is recommended, thus limiting increased outputs.