NZ Opens Nominations for Tech-Enabled Search & Rescue Awards, Calls for Innovators

The Minister recently visited the Search and Rescue Dogs Association (SARDA) in Methven, where he joined an avalanche-rescue simulation.

Associate Transport Minister James Meager is urging New Zealanders—especially those at the forefront of innovation—to recognise the people and technologies transforming emergency response by nominating them for the 2025 New Zealand Search and Rescue (NZSAR) Awards.

Minister Meager says the modern search and rescue sector is no longer defined solely by dramatic recoveries, but by an expanding ecosystem of technical specialists, data analysts, trainers, coordinators, and advanced tools that make rescue operations faster, safer, and more precise.

New Zealand oversees one of the world’s largest and most complex search and rescue regions. This harsh and vast environment has pushed the sector to adopt cutting-edge innovation, from predictive modelling and real-time tracking to highly trained dog teams working alongside digital detection systems.

The Minister recently visited the Search and Rescue Dogs Association (SARDA) in Methven, where he joined an avalanche-rescue simulation.

“I played the role of a trapped explorer and saw the absolute precision and coordination between canine teams, their handlers, and the supporting technologies,” he says. “What I witnessed was a fusion of skill, focus, and innovation that defines today’s lifesaving operations.”

He emphasised that the mission is simple but immense: bring people home safely, wherever they are.“The NZSAR Awards let us spotlight the courage, skill, and increasingly the technology shaping the future of rescue in New Zealand,” Meager says.

Award Categories

The NZSAR Awards recognise outstanding contributions in two primary areas:

• Operational Activity: Exceptional performance in specific missions, including the use of advanced tools or innovative techniques.

• Support Activity: Significant impact through training, prevention technology, long-service innovation, or other foundational contributions.

Each category features two recognition levels:

• Gold Awards: Honouring the most exceptional contributions in NZ’s search and rescue sector.

• Certificates of Achievement: Acknowledging notable efforts over the past year or a sustained period.

A Call to Early Adopters and Tech Innovators

Meager is encouraging nominations from individuals and teams working at the intersection of technology, data, and emergency response—including innovators developing tools that enhance situational awareness, location accuracy, communications, or rescue efficiency.

“Whether it’s a daring rescue supported by next-gen tools or years spent developing technology behind the scenes, every contribution counts,” he says. “If you know a person, team, or dog-handler partnership driving the future of search and rescue, nominate them and share their story.”

Nominations close on 31 January 2026.