Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Squad
The Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Squad (B.W.R.S.) is a remote area search and rescue service in New South Wales, Australia. The Squad is made up of fit and experienced volunteers who donate their time as a service to the community. The B.W.R.S. is the search and rescue arm of the Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs NSW, and a specialist squad of the Volunteer Rescue Association.
The squad was formed on the basis that the best people to search for missing bushwalkers are experienced bushwalkers. They understand the bush, they know how to navigate in difficult terrain, they know the hidden passes and the common mistakes walkers make while trying to find a route in difficult country.
In 1936, a high-profile search for missing bushwalkers prompted the police and the Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs to form the search and rescue subcommittee of the Confederation. By 2000, changing times prompted the subcommittee to form into an incorporated entity, with more highly trained membership (requiring specialist skills to effectively work with other search agencies).
External links
- Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Squad
- The Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs NSW
- The NSW Volunteer Rescue Association