This time it was somebody else coming to the rescue.
Penticton’s Oktoberfest Society made a $4,000 donation to Penticton and District Search and Rescue (PENSAR) to go towards the repair of a critical communications tower on Apex Mountain.
In January, 2014, PENSAR’s regional communications tower on Apex Mountain was mysteriously out of commission. The communication repeater is a critical piece of equipment that allows SAR teams to operate in remote locations such as Manning Park, the Cathedral Lakes and areas north of Kelowna and as far east as Grand Forks.
An investigation revealed that a large winter storm had collapsed the radio mast and PENSAR president Dale Jorgensen realized that getting communications back up and running was a priority.
With cost estimates of $5,000 dollars to replace and repair the tower — finding funds was the next priority. PENSAR’s call for help was answered April 30, when Bill Kolter, president of the Penticton’s Oktoberfest Society came to the Rescue.
With a cheque in hand for $4,000 dollars, Kolter made the presentation to Jorgensen and PENSAR vice president Ian King in the presence of other Oktoberfest Society members at the SS Sicamous.
Kolter said the Oktoberfest Society recognizes the work of PENSAR in the community and just wanted to help out.
Jorgenson said that $3,500 of the funds is being put toward the communication tower and the remaining $500 is to be allocated to the purchase of an automatic external defibrillator (AED) device for one of PENSAR’s rescue trucks.
PENSAR has 20 members of the team that are trained first responders who have training to utilize the AED devices while on tasks. A person’s survival rate increases dramatically the sooner an AED is used together with CPR.
A more durable unit suitable for search and rescue use costs in excess of $2,000.
“PENSAR has been around since 1973 and we have always been supported by the local community for which we are thankful. Our 40 team members provide a much needed critical care and response capability to the community and area. PENSAR responds to about 30-plus incidents annually and I am proud of our well-trained volunteer group that contributes over 8,000 hours annually to ensure the service is maintained,” Jorgenson said in a press release.
The Oktoberfest Society also made a donation towards completing restoration work on the stern saloon of the SS Okanagan.
The $3,000 donation is the second gift that has been made by the Oktoberfest Society, with a total of $13,000 donated to the project since 2013.
“There is a lot of history in this wooden structure, and we want to ensure that it is here for another 100 years. The funds from Oktoberfest will see that this happens” said Don Wright, Manager of the SS Sicamous in a press release.