CIRO (Canadian International Rescue Organization)

Box 1 Site 17 RR3 Ponoka, AB, Canada T4J1R3
General
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Nonprofit Organization · Education · Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)
Hours
Always open
Additional contact info
http://www.cirorescue.blogspot.ca/
jdschur@platinum.ca
More info
About
CIRO is a team of volunteers responding to global disasters by providing professional Search & Rescue services and consulting.
Additional information
Welcome to the CIRO official Facebook site!
Brief Information:
CIRO is a Canadian-based Technical Rescue Team (TRT) NGO/Non-Profit organization made up of volunteers responding to global disasters by providing professional Search & Rescue services, training and consulting.
History:
Canada is the second-largest country in the world and has one of the world's most difficult areas for Search and Rescue where most missions are conducted over varied and often austere terrain in extreme weather conditions and areas with low population density. This environment demands an extreme level of knowledge in diverse fields to successfully survive in these austere and most of the time freezing conditions from the mountains to the northern Arctic Tundra. Adverse Weather Survival, Ice Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue, Mountain Rescue, Emergency medicine and GSAR training, etc. are some of the basic skills required for any professional rescue team that dares to these elements. With over 9000+ GSAR (Ground Search & Rescue) volunteers in Canada, SAR missions are often common all year long. From winter backcountry skiers, climbers, snowshoers, hunters and snowmobilers to summer hikers, mountaineers, kayakers or simply outdoor enthusiasts; Canada requires a high level of rescuers that can operate in these environments and potential SAR missions. But how does that translate as a SAR member into having the opportunity to travel internationally?
As the world continues to watch more often diverse cataclysms and events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, mudslides, avalanches and war conflicts overseas (just to name a few) this unfolds the necessity of having qualified international rescue teams able to respond to global disasters. This requires more specific training and equipment and enormous funds to conduct these missions. SAR members across Canada have these valuable skills but often can’t help but bear witness to these conditions for having a lack of funding, training and equipment, not to mention sometimes dealing with hostile environments. This requires all the mentioned skills but also a highly trained and experienced group of professionals capable to sustain operations successfully in this environment.
Unfortunately, government rescue groups often cannot be deployed in different global disaster scenarios due to political, strategic or religious interests. Although these exist, they are rarely deployed since (in addition to the aforementioned problems), they represent a flag and a nation directly as governmental organizations. This also entails an enormous responsibility for the government and a great risk of causing political, economic, logistical inconvenience or (why not…) a problem of diplomatic representation. Beyond this, any civil group that accepts government money almost always has strings attached. For these reasons in 2008 a group of SAR professionals from Red Deer, Alberta founded CIRO with the sole purpose of saving lives without having to depend on political or governmental decisions, maintaining the true spirit of service "so that others may live".
Mission, Vision and Functions:
Funded in 2008; CIRO is a 14-year-old Technical Rescue Team (TRT) that began as an international operations project. Members of CIRO have been training for many years to develop their skills in USAR (Urban Search & Rescue) areas such as disaster technical search, collapsed structures, confined space and high angle rescue. All of these skills combined have given CIRO the capability to respond to any search & rescue situation with professionalism and efficiency ANYTIME, ANYWHERE with their commitment to giving to aid the people of the world during a time of need.
As volunteers, the members of the team consistently take many hours yearly from their personal lives to respond to the world’s emergency needs. The members bring with them personal life skills from both the civilian and military world and also technical equipment that has been purchased with their funds and also funds that have been donated to the team. Donations of cash or in-kind are what make it possible for the members to focus on helping those who need it the most.
Both impartial and neutral, this team of volunteers respond to global disasters with ALL members carrying classifications that extend beyond standard GSAR proficiencies including:
-High-Angle/Rope Rescue
-Swift-Water Rescue
-Confined Space
-Technical Search
-Ice Rescue
-Boat Operations
-ATV, UTV, ORV Operations
-Drone Piloting.
-Adverse Weather Training / Survival
-Vehicle Extrication
-Level 2 collapsed structure / Urban Rescue (USAR) operations (among other technical rescue capabilities)
Missions:
CIRO has actively participated in different world disasters as a USAR team and also participated in other specialized rescue and training missions around the world including in countries like Italy, Indonesia, China, Malta, Malawi, Pakistan, Colombia, the United States, etc.
Motto: "ANYTIME. ANYWHERE..."

"This we do, That others may live"