ABOUT

About Opportunity Regional Search and Rescue (ORSAR)

Opportunity Regional Search and Rescue (ORSAR) is a volunteer registered charity providing professional ground search and rescue support across northern Alberta. Our team is made up of dedicated volunteers who train year-round to assist when people are lost, missing, or in need of help in remote environments.

For more than 25 years, our organization has served the communities of the MD of Opportunity No. 17 and surrounding northern Alberta. Today, ORSAR supports Calling Lake, Wabasca, Red Earth Creek, Sandy Lake, Fox Lake and neighbouring rural and remote communities.

Working alongside the RCMP, Search and Rescue Alberta (SAR Alberta), municipal partners, fire departments, and neighbouring emergency response agencies, ORSAR provides:

• Missing person searches

• Ground search and rescue operations

• Evidence searches

• Drone-based aerial search support

• Wilderness and remote incident response

• Emergency operational support

• Public safety and community education initiatives

Northern Alberta presents unique challenges including vast forests, muskeg, cutlines, remote access roads, limited cellular coverage, severe weather, and long emergency response times. Our volunteers combine local knowledge, specialized training, and modern equipment to provide a safe, effective, and professional response when requested.

Our Mission

To provide professional volunteer search and rescue support, emergency response assistance, and public safety leadership for the communities we serve.

Current Priorities

• Expanding volunteer response capacity throughout northern Alberta

• Providing ongoing member training and SAR certification

• Modernizing equipment through provincial grant funding

• Supporting community safety initiatives, including public-access AED deployment

• Strengthening partnerships with emergency service agencies across the region

If you have questions, drop us a line HERE