Lost and injured people, but can they succeed in their search for a more appropriate base? Search and Rescue Nelson coordinates its training sessions, meetings, and at times back-breaking operations out of an unassuming building across the road from the Nelson Central Police Station.
Its chairperson Al Twohill says the current site, which it shares with the TS Talisman Navy Cadets and Skipper Training NZ, is “showing its age” and the voluntary organisation had to undertake extra funding to cover rental costs.
Its volunteer numbers which currently sit at around 60, and expanding equipment range for operations “bulging” in a storeroom, were also a clincher to begin searching for a new home.
“In terms of location, we’ve got to consider the area that we look after, we can be doing searches in the Richmond Ranges all the way down to Lake Rotoiti and St Arnaud, so that is a bit of an issue in Nelson,” Al says.
“Particularly if a call out is during peak traffic, getting in and out can be a bit of an issue. I think Richmond would be a preferred location, but beggars can’t be choosers.
“We’ve been talking about something like a wide-span shed with a kitchen and it would probably suffice us, as long as we have the basics of the power, being able to set up an operational room with computers and screens.”
Member Graham Pomeroy says members of the Police Search and Rescue unit also join the search coordination at its current site, so any new location should be close to the station.
“The other part of that is also being in the city and close to the urban areas where we do a lot of searches for elderly or people with dementia and Alzheimers,” he says.
“So we do not want to be going all the way up to sort of the Waimea Plains to come back. We’re looking for the community to help us either with a building or a piece of land or joining in to help with paying a lease or something like that.”
Both men say once it ascertains a feasible new location it could establish appropriate fundraising targets.
“We’d much rather be fundraising for putting in new equipment or expanding our services, rather than just keeping the lights on, if we were to build then we can start looking at a target there.”
Contact: info@sar-nelson.co.nz to discuss financial support for Search and Rescue Nelson’s new base.
