File photo.
Oliver-Osoyoos Search and Rescue have received a grant of $100,000 from the province’s capital gaming grants which will help build a new truck and trailer station and cut down on response times.
The grant will go towards a three-bay truck and trailer station to support the local search and rescue teams efforts.
The station will be heated and hold the three SAR trucks and trailers making it much easier to leave gear secured in vehicles for the volunteer search and rescue teams.
“It means we are going to be cutting at least half an hour to 45 minutes on our response time,” said Nina Munckhof, treasurer of Oliver Osoyoos Search and Rescue.
The local SAR group saved an equivalent amount to the grant and Munckhof said the funding would not be possible without the letters of support from local municipalities.
“We appreciate the help of the Town of Oliver, the Town of Osoyoos and the Osoyoos Indian Band, for their support letters in the grant application, I think that helped a lot. I think that was a deciding factor,” Munckhof said. “Having all the support from local communities makes it so we can keep going because we are 100 per cent volunteer.
The group is hoping to break ground on the new facility in Oliver in March of 2020.
