Stantec Employees Support Search and Rescue with Dollars for Doers
March 14, 2025
Dollars for Doers helps Stantec employees support volunteer search and rescue teams—and fund essential equipment, training, and life-saving missions
Established in 2010, Stantec's Dollars for Doers (D4D) program has provided cash donations to charities where employees volunteer. By logging 25 or more volunteer hours in a year or participating in a team fundraising event, employees can earn awards for their chosen organizations. In 2024, three Stantec employees used D4D to support search and rescue (SAR) teams, whose lifesaving efforts rely on volunteer commitment and charitable funding.
Saving lives through mountain rescue
Tim Darlow, principal process engineer in Edinburgh, Scotland, volunteers with the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team, a 45-member, all-volunteer group assisting in distress calls from mountain bikers, hikers, and missing persons. Before becoming a full team member, Tim completed a year of training in first aid, navigation, and avalanche rescue. In the first half of 2024 alone, he logged 57 volunteer hours, responding to medical emergencies, including a memorable helicopter-assisted rescue of a heart attack victim.
Fundraising is essential for the team’s £30,000 ($38,800) annual operating costs, covering training, stretchers, drones, and ATVs. In January, Tim ran a grueling 165-mile race to raise funds for the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team. It took him 66 hours and he raised £2400 ($3,100) which will be split between the mountain rescue team and WaterAid.
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Tim Darlow and members of the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team in action.
Extracting those in distress
James Cook, senior civil engineer in Reading, England, volunteers with Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue (BLSAR), the primary search resource for Thames Valley Police. As Deputy Drone Lead and a member of the water team, he uses drone thermal imaging and swiftwater rescue training to locate missing persons. Piloting the drone not only assists with providing an aerial view of a search area, but the thermal imaging on the drones can identify hot spots which might not otherwise be seen with the naked eye. The team’s drone capabilities are used to assist the water team, assess risk areas, and help the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service identify hot spots in building and brushland fires.
During a recent flood response, James’ team rescued a stranded walker, a reminder of how SAR teams can make a difference in real-time emergencies. With over five years of service and 183 volunteer hours logged in 2024, James also helps raise awareness and funds at local events. BLSAR operates solely on volunteer labor and donations.
James Cook volunteering with Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue.
Using tracking techniques to bring people home
Martin Peat, senior principal transportation planner in Christchurch, New Zealand, has volunteered with NZ Land Search and Rescue for five years, contributing about 100 hours annually. His team, deployed by local police, conducts urban and backcountry searches. Once dispatched, volunteers are sent out in teams of three or four using techniques in searching and tracking to find any lost or missing persons. Once a person is located, first aid is administered as needed. The fire department and military may be called to assist in searches using drones with thermal imaging capabilities.
One tragic case—a two-day search for a woman with dementia that ended weeks later in loss—reinforced Martin’s commitment. A call with an upsetting ending takes a toll on rescuers mentally, physically, and emotionally. The search and rescue organization provides support and counseling for its volunteers on top of any training regarding mental health and well-being. A call such as this is an example of Martin’s “why” for volunteering. He wants to help people in his community get home safe. With 103,000 volunteer hours logged across the organization in 2023, he knows the impact of SAR work. Equipping a field volunteer costs $3,500, and annual training expenses reach $1,200 per person. Martin’s first D4D award will aid ongoing fundraising efforts.
Martin peat volunteering with New Zealand Land, Search and Rescue.
Making a difference through Dollars for Doers
Since 2010, Stantec’s D4D program has donated over $408,000 to support employee volunteerism. Thank you to Tim, James, and Martin for their dedication to SAR efforts.