The natural beauty that surrounds UFV’s campuses is spectacular and draws people into activities like hiking and river rafting. Sometimes though, that leads to serious trouble. People wander off marked trails and get lost in the wilderness or get stranded on the river. When that happens, brave women and men jump in to help. 

Search and Rescue (SAR) organizations across Canada save lives, tackling treacherous terrain to bring people back to safety. But do we offer enough support to these selfless volunteers who put their lives on the line? That’s the question on Dr. Jelena Brcic’s mind, specifically as it relates to women search and rescuers.  

The associate professor in UFV’s School of Business is embarking on a two-year research project, powered by a grant from Public Safety Canada: Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund. Through surveys and interviews, Jelena is exploring the unique successes and challenges faced by women volunteers, and identifying areas for improvement relating to equity, inclusivity, and diversity within Canadian SAR teams. 

Jelena is starting with the B.C. Search and Rescue Association and building out from there, hoping to connect with similar groups from all the provinces and territories. 

“There will be a lot of relationship building, and that is the most enjoyable part for me,” she says.  

This project is different from work that Jelena has previously done, but ties into an ongoing theme of studying how teams function in extreme and unusual environments. Her doctoral research in psychology examined how individuals and teams function in stressful environments, including the International Space Station, the Arctic, and Antarctic. Like the astronauts and isolated research scientists she has studied in the past, SAR volunteers work in rugged, often hostile environments. They are called out at a moment’s notice and placed into high-stress scenarios. 

“Part of this research relates strongly to what I’ve previously done, gathering data on how these women cope with the stresses they experience, how they work with their teams, and whether they experience growth and resilience after a season with SAR,” Jelena says. “The women aspect of this is intriguing to me because I believe we still have a ways to go in terms of equality and equity in lots of professions.”  

It is Jelena’s hope that the research not only sheds light on the vital contributions of women in SAR but also drives meaningful changes to support and empower all volunteers.  UFV students who assist her will play a significant role in writing papers and creating posters, and they’ll experience one of Jelena’s favourite parts of the work when they share their findings with SAR volunteers. 

“I love that we’ll be able to present our findings with the people who go into these unforgiving environments,” Jelena muses. “We learn something from their experiences, and it’s nice sharing what we’ve learned with them and hearing them say, ‘Huh! That is really interesting.’ 

“That’s what draws me into the work, and that’s what drives me.”  

Jelena describes her research as “really cool” work that takes her to great places. She says she interacts with awesome people, including many astronauts. SAR volunteers don’t go into outer space, but she knows they’ll have amazing tales to tell. 

“I’m super excited to get started,” Jelena says. “This marries two of my passions — advocating for women and my work in extreme environments — and it’s new and exciting work. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes from it, and I suspect it ends up being more than one project. I think we’re going to learn a lot and we’re going to want to learn even more.”