B.C. rescue group looking for a life line of its own

Over his four years as chief of the Fort George Highway Rescue Society, Keith Laboucan has heard all the stories about the good his rescue group has done.

He remembers that three years ago a train collided with a truck and carried it down the tracks for hundreds of metres. The fire department had been trying to free the trapped driver for about half an hour when the rescue society arrived to help. "We finally get there, and we have the guy out of there in five minutes," said Mr. Laboucan, who has volunteered with the society for nine years.

"Done. And he lived."

In an area where volunteer fire departments and ambulances are simply unequipped for rescue operations - most typically carry only what Mr. Laboucan refers to as "dinosaur tools," like a crowbar or a winch - the rescue society offers vital support for emergency providers.

But now, the future of the group is grim.

The rescue society's three-year funding grant from the province's community gambling program expires this year. That money has accounted for one-third of the group's yearly budget. And while they will apply for a renewal of the grant this summer, Mr. Laboucan said he's not confident about their chances, mainly because the program's funding has diminished over the years. The rescue society also applied for a provincial infrastructure grant, only to discover that it was ineligible.

To compensate, the group, which is operated by 18 volunteers who logged a total of 38,000 person hours last year, cut a $100,000 operating budget to $70,000. It also dipped into a savings fund that was meant for the construction of a new building. Mr. Laboucan said that will likely be depleted by 2012. By that point, if they don't get the funding from the gambling program renewed, he said, they'll likely have to close down. "The way it's looking … it's a good possibility."

In addition to provincial funding, the group has also been receiving money from the regional district, to the tune of $50,000 a year- which was $20,000 more than previous years. "The regional district has been there for us, they always have been," he said.

But it's not enough. "Fifty grand is nothing," said Mr. Laboucan. "We're cutting everywhere. And that means less training, less upgrading of our equipment."

And he said that they could also end up without a home because their facility, which is leased annually, is a costly expenditure.

The rescue society used to do fundraising, but with the number of calls doubling over the past decade, up to 68 in 2010, he said, there's been little time.

Mr. Laboucan stressed, however, that the need for a rescue society is there. "What would happen if someone would be trapped and no one was able to get them out?

"It's up to our government. They've got to step up and figure this out."

Neither Pat Bell nor Shirley Bond, MLAs for the Prince George region, were available for comment Monday. Ms. Bond is also the Minister of Public Safety.

Mr. Laboucan said he has spoken to both MLAs, but still doesn't know what to expect from the province. "I stay positive, but I don't see a good future for the department," he said. "If they don't [step up] we've accepted that. We've accepted in our hearts that we've done all that we can."