For the 6th year in a row, PGL Little Canada hosted new recruits from local Lowland Search and Rescue organisation, WightSAR, to complete it’s Safe to Search assessment.
As part of PGL’s focus and commitment to support local communities and make a positive impact, WightSAR was given exclusive use of the activity centre to run through the crucial tasks that are required for their formal assessments, including skills training, a night-time search, and an evacuation drill.
All five recruits passed their training successfully and are now fully qualified members of the operational team, equipped with the skills needed to provide life-saving support for high-risk, vulnerable missing persons on the Isle of Wight.
With WightSAR relying solely on donations to provide their services, the offer of the centre, as well as lunch, dinner, and refreshments for the day, meant vital costs were saved and can be redirected for operational resources. The volunteers were also able to experience the same local terrain and conditions they will be faced with in live call outs, instead of travelling to the mainland.
“As an organisation, we understand how important it is to play our part and so we’re proud to support the volunteers of WightSAR with their training,” said Gavin Devoy, General Manager at PGL Little Canada. “By giving them the access to our centre they can focus on what’s most important, learning what they need to provide valuable support for our community.
Congratulations to the five new recruits for passing their training, and a huge thank you to WightSAR for what they do for residents and guests on the island every year.”
Damon Corr, Recruit Trainer and Assessor at WightSAR said: “Once again, we are indebted to PGL’s generosity and the welcome of their friendly staff at Little Canada. There is simply nowhere else we could base ourselves for this vital element of the annual calendar, safe in the knowledge that we are being looked after, catered for, and welcomed with open arms, allowing us to concentrate all our efforts on the qualification phase of our new Licensed Search Technicians development journey.”
For more information on how you can support WightSAR, go to www.WightSAR.org.
