COVID-19 and British Columbia's volunteer search and rescue workers: risk recognition and risk mitigation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early during COVID-19, British Columbia coordinated collaboration between academic researchers, public healthcare systems, and private sector partners to focus research resources on knowledge gaps in a timely manner, avoid duplication, and identify overlooked aspects. At a collaboration symposium, it became evident that BC's volunteer search & rescue (SAR) cadre was overlooked.

Objective

Our exploratory project studied volunteer SAR's operational readiness; use and perceived value of information sources; consistency in infection prevention measures among volunteer stations, and with their professional counterparts for comparable first aid medical interventions throughout the pandemic.

Methods

We partnered with the 2 organizations that govern BC's volunteer

SUBMITTER: Birnbaum D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10654942 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature