Eric Langley Receives 2002 Certificate of Achievement

EMERGENCY MEASURES ORGANIZATION--Eric Langley Receives 2002 Certificate of Achievement

A Sydney man is one of five Canadians to receive a certificate of achievement this year in recognition of the dedication and professionalism of search and rescue providers across the country.

Eric Langley, a founding member of Cape Breton Search and Rescue Team and volunteer for more than 30 years, will receive the certificate from the National Search and Rescue Secretariat (NSS) at a ceremony on Sept. 14 in Halifax.

"Mr. Langley's determination and dedication to ground search and rescue is recognized throughout the province and now throughout the country," said Tim Olive, Minister responsible for the provincial Emergency Measures Act. "Nova Scotians are fortunate to have people like Mr. Langley on our search and rescue teams."

During his years in search and rescue, Mr. Langley assisted in the development of many of the training programs used by the team. He was one of the first searchers in Nova Scotia to be involved in night searches and has been active in hunter and firearms safety training.

"Mr. Langley's teaching skills have helped to create a strong and effective search and rescue service for Cape Breton," said Jean Murray, executive director of the NSS.

The Nova Scotia Ground Search and Rescue Association nominated Mr. Langley.

"Mr. Langley is an inspiration to all," said Charlie Strickland, president of the association. "He is to be commended for his lifetime of service to the people of Nova Scotia and his untold hours of volunteer work and as a driving force in search management in Nova Scotia."

Mr. Langley will be presented with the certificate at SARSCENE -- an annual search and rescue workshop being held at the Casino Nova Scotia Hotel in Halifax. An awards dinner will be held in honour of the recipients of the Outstanding SAR Achievement Award and Certificates of Achievement.

Other certificates of achievement will be presented to Cpl. Jim Galloway, RCMP, Sherwood Park, Alta.; Tim Jones, North Shore Rescue Team, North Vancouver, B.C.; Denis Maurice, Georgian Bay SAR, Georgian Bay, Ont.; and Robert Petitpas, Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, Sorel, Que.

The 2002 Outstanding SAR Achievement Award will go to John Kelly of Winnipeg, Man., national administrator of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association for his lifetime career in search and rescue. He has saved numerous lives, putting himself at risk, and has provided search and rescue training to thousands of military and civilian search and rescue providers.

The NSS is an independent agency of the federal government that works with all levels of government, police and emergency services and volunteers to manage and improve search and rescue activities throughout Canada.

NOTE: The following is a backgrounder on the search and rescue awards.

BACKGROUNDER: 2002 Search and Rescue Awards

• The Awards: Search and rescue in Canada is an activity that is undertaken by a large group of people working together across many jurisdictions. Significant events have taken place over the past decades and only rarely are search and rescue personnel recognized for their accomplishments. Specific acts of heroism have drawn honours and awards from a program established by the federal government. Others have made contributions that might be less newsworthy but are nevertheless major contributions to improve search and rescue in Canada.

While individual organizations within the National Search and Rescue Program may have programs to recognize the efforts of their own personnel, such recognition often does not reach the public or others involved in search and rescue. In its role to develop a national search and rescue program, the National Search and Rescue Secretariat has established two annual national awards to recognize worthy achievements in the field of search and rescue in Canada.

• Outstanding SAR Achievement: Implemented in 1995, the annual Outstanding SAR Achievement award honours the person or group that has made the most significant contribution to search and rescue in Canada during that year or over a sustained period.

• Certificate of Achievement: Implemented in 1996, the certificate is awarded to a person or group to recognize excellence in search and rescue in a particular field or region.

For more information on past recipients, visit the NSS Web site at www.nss.gc.ca/AWARDS/index_e.html .