VANCOUVER — The former head of the B.C. Search and Rescue Association says the group’s volunteer personnel have been bullied, threatened and disrespected by the province’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. 

Dwight Yochim, the association’s former CEO who was let go last week, and several other current and former search and rescue team leaders say the province has been ignoring “pressing safety issues,” while leaving them in the dark about important policy decisions. 

In a joint letter to Premier David Eby, the rescue leaders say there is “institutionalized bullying” of volunteers and a lack of consultation, including about new equipment that could improve safety and save lives. 

The letter says the ministry changed the framework of the government’s relationship with volunteer search and rescue teams — 78 in all — making it no longer a “partnership.”

Yochim says the situation between the association and the ministry has become “toxic,” partly due to the government’s opposition to their group’s advocacy work on behalf of search and rescue volunteers. 

Eby told an unrelated news conference that search and rescue volunteers need support, especially during the winter months, and his government is reaching out to address the teams’ concerns. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2024

The Canadian Press