The Citizen, 2019-03-21, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019. PAGE 9.
HASAR group continues to pass expectations
After creating the Huron Area
Search and Rescue (HASAR),
Patrick Armstrong says the group is
progressing faster than he
anticipated after its first outdoor
training day on March 9 at the
Hullett Conservation Area.
Armstrong and Adam Seltzer, both
officers in the Ontario Provincial
Police, co-created HASAR last year
to help fill a need in the community
that would assist authorities in
missing persons cases.
Last August, the group put out a
call for volunteers and the response
was overwhelming, Armstrong said.
The organization has since received
its provincial certification, which is
far ahead of schedule. Armstrong
says the certification process can
take up to a year in some cases.
On March 9, HASAR members
met between Clinton and
Londesborough at the Hullett
Conservation Area for their first
hands-on, outdoor training session
after spending months in the
classroom learning theory and
practice.
At the training day, Armstrong
said the group participated in some
basic map and compass work and
real-life communications exercises.
The members would be given co-
ordinates and then they would have
to find their way there with the
benefit of just maps and compasses
and then radio back to the instructors
and find out where they had to go to
next.
Everyone grasped the concept
pretty quickly, Armstrong said,
despite members having varying
levels of experiences with maps and
compasses. However, everyone
found their way around the
conservation area and nobody got
lost, so he says that’s a positive first
day out in the field.
Armstrong says he’s blown away
by the quality of volunteers that
HASAR has attracted and he thinks
that some of the group’s most
advanced volunteers will be
officially certified by the beginning
of April, which is, again, far ahead of
schedule.
Armstrong and Seltzer founded
the organization last year and
introduced the concept to a group of
eager volunteers on Aug. 18, 2018 at
the Goderich Legion. From there,
HASAR took off attracting a number
of residents who wanted to help out.
HASAR’s coverage area will
stretch from Kincardine in the north
to Port Franks in the south and east
to Sebringville.
Once the volunteers are certified
by the province, they will be able to
help local law enforcement in the
event of a missing person.
In a previous interview with The
Citizen, Armstrong said that
qualified search and rescue
volunteers can be invaluable during
times of emergency when a resident
is missing. He said it can extend the
reach of emergency services
personnel tenfold, freeing up police
officers and other emergency
personnel to do job civilians aren’t
qualified to do, which is crucial in
situations where time is a factor.
For more information on HASAR,
visit hasar.ca or find it on Facebook.
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Learning by doing
Members of the volunteer Huron Area Search and Rescue (HASAR) group were at the Hullett
Conservation Area earlier this month honing their pathfinding skills by traversing with maps
and a compass. The group has evolved quickly, according to organizer Patrick Armstrong,
saying it has passed several milestones far sooner than anticipated. From left: Mason Lippold,
Dave Conley, Shawn Dejong, Steve Buschell and Jackie Miltenburg. (Mark Nonkes photo)
The first 2019 tax installment for the Township of North Huron is due
on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Interest at 1 1/4% per month, or any
part thereof will be charged on unpaid accounts as of March 28, 2019
and the first day of each month thereafter.
NOTE: Persons who have acquired properties and have not received
a tax bill should contact the Municipal Office. Failure to receive a tax
bill does not relieve a taxpayer from responsibility for payment of
taxes, nor from penalty for late payment.
Please contact the Treasury Department in regards to the various
payment options available. Pre-authorized payment sign up forms are
available at www.northhuron.ca or at the Town Hall.
Donna White
Director of Finance
Township of North Huron
CORPORATION OF THE
TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HURON
TAXES DUE
Warriors take to curling rink
By Kaya Drennan
Meeting five of the Wawanosh 4-
H Winter Warriors club was held on
Monday, March 11 at the Wingham
Golf and Curling Club. President
Austin Bieman opened the meeting
with the pledge.
Leader Eileen George then
explained the basic rules of curling
and divided up the 4-H members
into four groups before going out
onto the ice.
Each group worked through some
curling drills to make them familiar
with moving on the ice, sweeping,
and throwing the rock. Once the club
had practised the different skills, the
different 4-H groups competed
against each other.
Some 4-H members found it
challenging to get the rock across
the hog line, whereas others had too
much power and went past the
house.
All members improved their
curling skills while having fun.
After an hour of curling, the club
met to complete the business portion
of the meeting. Austin led roll call
which was “What do you know
about curling? On what kind of
surface is curling played?”
Secretary Ally Riegling then read
the minutes of meeting four. Bieman
made a motion to approve the
minutes and Kayley Hallahan
seconded it.
Members then voted on what they
wanted to do for Achievement Day.
It was decided that they would play
various games in the gym at the
Huron Chapel in Auburn.
Bieman then closed the meeting
with the motto and reminded the 4-H
members the next meeting
will be held on Thursday, March 21
at 7 p.m. at the Willits’ pool in
Lucknow.
Winter Warriors
The fifth meeting for the Wawanosh 4-H Winter Warriors club saw members take to the ice
surface at the Wingham Golf and Curling Club to learn how to curl. From left: Deanna
Haanstra, club President Austin Bieman, Landyn Hallahan and Jack Riegling. (Photo submitted)
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