OCEAP Conducts Search and Rescue Training in Port Hope
Members of a volunteer emergency search and rescue group were training in Port Hope on Saturday, March 28, 2021
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Approximately 18 members of Ontario Community Emergency Assistance Program (O.C.E.A.P.) took part in a training exercise on the grounds of the Jack Burger Sports Complex throughout the day.
Coordinator Curtis Kimball said the group has been in existence since 2006 with members spanning from Belleville to Toronto.
Saturday was the first time this year the group has been actively training. With the terrain around the Jack Burger Sports Complex it was ideal for ground search and rescue training.
It was also the first time for a number of new members to participate in scenarios.
“Basically it involves being aware of their surroundings, watching for clues, being able to follow proper protocol so if they find something it’s handled the proper way.”
The group is on-call 24-hours a day, seven days a week by Cobourg or Port Hope Police.
Once dispatched they responded to a staging area for deployment.
“It’s critical to get this training in,” said Kimball.
“We brought in a lot of new members in September/October last year and another group this month. They need that training to allow them to be deployed into the field.”
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