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SARVAC National SAR Canine Program: Moving Toward a National Standard

Apr 27, 2026

Volunteer canine teams play a critical role in Canada’s search and rescue system. Until now, however, there has been no unified national standard to guide their training, operational roles, or deployment. That is now changing.

SARVAC’s National SAR Canine Program is leading the development of a national standard designed to strengthen SAR canine operations across Canada by ensuring:

  • Consistent training and operational readiness

  • Clear expectations for handlers and canines

  • Improved safety and insurance eligibility

  • Greater trust with the public and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs)

This initiative is funded through the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SARNIF) from Public Safety Canada and will result in a national standard developed through the Canadian Standards Association, aligned with existing national SAR competencies.

A national working group—comprised of experienced SAR canine volunteers, key stakeholders, Indigenous partners, and AHJ representatives—is helping shape this work. The CSA Z1620 GSAR Technical Committee is also supporting the process to ensure the standard meets high levels of accuracy, clarity, and technical integrity.

Current Progress

Core competencies have now been defined, including:

  • Handler qualifications

  • Canine performance expectations

  • Operational roles and responsibilities

Public Review Now Open

As of April 12, 2026, the draft CSA Z1620 GSAR Standard is officially available for public review. The review period closes on June 9, 2026.

Review the draft and provide feedback:

We encourage organizations, stakeholders, and members of the SAR community to review the draft and share feedback. All comments must be submitted directly through the CSA Public Review website.

This marks an important step toward safer, more consistent, and more credible SAR canine operations across Canada. 🇨🇦