SAR- Search and rescue. Let us talk a bit about what it is and why you should get involved.
The basics
Search and rescue (SAR) refers to those who respond to lost, injured, or missing individuals in the urban, wilderness, or post-natural disaster environments. SAR is typically broken in to two main categories (however there is some overlap between the two): Urban (USAR) and Wilderness (SAR).
USAR is made up of specially designed teams that focus on the recovery and rescuing of victims in urban settings following a natural disaster, such as an earthquake or tsunami. These teams are often comprised of firefighters, public works engineers, law enforcement, emergency medical services (EMS), and K9 teams. The members of these teams are pulled from departments and agencies around a given area. Some of these team members may travel across several counties to report to trainings and to missions. There are 28 USAR teams in the U.S. and they are managed by FEMA. The system is designed so that in the case of a disaster, a USAR team could be deployed within 6 hours.
SAR is still a broad term, but generally narrows it down to those that respond to those lost and injured in the wilderness. There are hundreds of SAR teams across the United States. In most states, each county has a SAR team of some sort. Some do not due to size, population, or other factors. The majority of SAR responders are volunteer. There are SAR operations that are handled by the U.S. Navy, Army, Airforce, Coast Guard, and Border Patrol. Those operations are usually related to the use of specialized equipment such as helicopters, and responses to marine rescues where time is very sensitive. Non-military SAR are usually ran by the local sheriff's department. The missions that SAR volunteers go on range from packing out an injured hiker off a mountain, to searching for a "walk-away" (a patient with dementia), to assisting the sheriff's department in evidence searches and responding to localized emergencies such as a pandemic or flooding.
Why you should get involved
Whether you are interested in joining an urban search and rescue task force or a wilderness one, there are many reasons as to why you should join.
1) Character Building: SAR can be quite intense, both mentally and physically, which leads to stronger character.
2) Giving Back: You will give back to your community in more ways than you could imagine. Whether that be helping out at a COVID-19 Vaccine Site, or searching for someone's lost kid, SAR is always giving back.
3) Community: When you join SAR, you join an international community of like-minded professionals. You will gain friendships that can't be broken and bonds with locals and the first responder, emergency management, and healthcare communities in your area.
4) It's Freakin' Rad: Let's be real, what is cooler than showing up at work in the morning after a 12 hour rescue where you hiked 8 miles with 50+lbs of gear, in the soaking rain, in the dark, in the cold? If that sounded awesome to you, you should join SAR.
How to get involved:
The USAR teams are coordinated through FEMA, and can be joined by contacting your local taskforce. Note that the search teams are typically reserved for those first responders who work in the industry of emergency management. However, they do have K9 teams that are volunteer based. FEMA USAR Task Forces
SAR units are usually ran by your local sheriff's department. Not every county has a SAR team, and some may be more difficult to join than others. It is usually best to contact your sheriff's office or local department of emergency management directly to inquire about joining SAR. You can also find more information about some SAR resources at the NASAR Website.
"So others may live"
Skagit County SAR Tech.
Isaac B.