Rossland Search and Rescue would like to thank everyone who recently donated in memory of Merv Fry, and to remind Rosslanders that none of the recognized search and rescue groups in B.C. ask for donations by phone.
The BC Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA) issued a warning to the 80 recognized search and rescue groups in B.C. and their supporters after North Shore Rescue (NSR) in North Vancouver filed a notice of claim in a lawsuit against the Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia.
In the notice of claim, the NSR alleges that “employees and/or contractors” of the Search and Rescue Society of BC “have engaged in public fundraising initiatives in which they purport to represent NSR and/or other bona fide SAR teams in their requests for donations.”
The NSR also alleges that it “has received complaints from members of the public who reside in Metro Vancouver, complaining about the manner in which an ‘aggressive’ telephone solicitation had occurred, resulting in them wrongfully believing that these calls were made and/or authorized by NSR” and the NSR alleges that those phone calls were made by the Search and Rescue Society of BC.
BCSARA issued a press release on March 16, three days after the NSR filed its initial notice of claim. In that release, the BCSARA said:
“We cannot state clearly enough, not one of the 80 recognized SAR groups in British Columbia, ask for donations by phone. And neither do any of the recognized air or marine search and rescue groups in BC. Simply put, if you receive a phone call asking you to donate to search and rescue, it is not us.”
On April 4, NSR filed an amended notice of claim in the suit and as of yet, there has been no legal response from the Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia. They have 21 days from the time they were served to respond.