Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue
Encyclopedia
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
resource for the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office
Multnomah County Sheriff's Office
Multnomah County Sheriff's Office serves the close to 700,000 residents of Multomah County, Oregon, United States. Multnomah County Sheriff's Office is a County Law Enforcement agency that handles 9-1-1 calls and assists other city agencies such as Portland Police Bureau. The current Sheriff is...
in Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The agency also offers its 3,000-5,000 hours of volunteer service to other areas, including Clackamas
Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...
, Columbia
Columbia County, Oregon
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was named for the Columbia River, which forms its eastern and northern borders. As of 2010, its population was 49,351. The county seat is St. Helens.-Economy:...
, Washington
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
, Marion
Marion, Oregon
Marion is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Oregon, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Marion as a census-designated place . The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same...
, Hood River
Hood River County, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 20,411 people, 7,248 households, and 5,175 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 7,818 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, Wasco
Wasco County, Oregon
Wasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for a local tribe of Native Americans, the Wasco, a Chinook tribe who lived on the south side of the Columbia River. In 2010, its population was 25,213...
, Tillamook
Tillamook County, Oregon
Tillamook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Tillamook, a Native American tribe who were living in the area in the early 19th century at the time of European American settlement. In 2010, the county's population was 25,250...
, and Clatsop
Clatsop County, Oregon
Clatsop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Clatsop tribe of Native Americans, who lived along the coast of the Pacific Ocean prior to European settlement. As of 2010, the population was 37,039. The county seat is Astoria.-Economy:The principal...
counties in Oregon, and Skamania and Clark
Clark County, Washington
Clark County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.Clark County was the first county of Washington, named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition...
counties in Washington. The organization was first created in 1961 in cooperation with the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, and is one of the longest continually used Explorer Search and Rescue
Explorer Search and Rescue
Explorer Search and Rescue are teams of Explorers in the Learning for Life program of the Boy Scouts of America who are trained and deployed for search and rescue missions. Well-developed ESAR programs emerged in the state of Washington in the mid 1950s and were followed by others in California...
units in the United States. In 1986, sponsorship of the MCSO SAR was transferred to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.
MCSO SAR is part of the Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
Search and Rescue Council. MCSO receives funding from the Department of Homeland Security within the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) to create a regional resource.
History
MCSO SAR was originally founded by a parent interested in forming a Boy Scout bagpiper crew. The troop was only open to males and had 12 members. At the time the troop had no interest in performing search and rescue tasks, but in 1961 it was called upon to do so by Multnomah County after all of their law enforcement staff were exhausted during a search on Mount HoodMount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
. The group agreed to assist with the search and were later asked to partner with Multnomah County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) as a volunteer search and rescue resource. Once the unit was officially affiliated with the county, it began offering membership to women and slowly gained female members. Years later, after the Boy Scout affiliation faded, the sheriff's office began affiliating the unit as the primary search and rescue resource for Multnomah County.
Training
All members of MCSO SAR are trained in a wide range of fields, including first aidFirst aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
, the legal aspect of search and rescue, emergency survival skills and equipment, radio communications, land navigation, GPS orientation, crime scene
Crime scene
A crime scene is a location where an illegal act took place, and comprises the area from which most of the physical evidence is retrieved by trained law enforcement personnel, crime scene investigators or in rare circumstances, forensic scientists....
safety and security, search organization and management, search techniques, man tracking, helicopter safety, wilderness medicine
Wilderness medicine
Wilderness medicine is defined by difficult patient access, limited equipment, and environmental extremes. Today, wilderness or expedition medicine is practiced by Wilderness First Responders, Wilderness EMTs, Remote/Offshore/Wilderness Paramedics and Physicians on expeditions, in outdoor...
, and rescue techniques. A minimum of 40 hours of training each year is required by the state; however, the MCSO SAR itself requires 200 hours.
This extra training required by the MCSO SAR includes rope rescue training, rope systems, and pulley systems, urban search and rescue
Urban search and rescue
Urban search and rescue involves the location, extrication, and initial medical stabilization of victims trapped in confined spaces due to natural disasters, structural collapse, transportation accidents, mines and collapsed trenches.USAR teams in different countries may be organised in a...
scenarios, training in responding to terrorist attacks, natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
s and urban searches, crime scene evidence searching, and snow and avalanche safety. MCSO SAR also participates in the Washington State Search & Rescue Conference each year for specialist training in a number of different subjects. Starting in the summer of 2007, MCSO SAR began optional training which consisted of review as well as specialized training such as high rope rescue, advanced first aid, advanced survival skills
Survival skills
Survival skills are techniques a person may use in a dangerous situation to save themselves or others...
, and helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
training.
Services
Command Structure
Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue members make up various positions within the unit. Each of those positions has different roles and responsibilities, with greater or lesser authority.Law Enforcement Staff
- SheriffSheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
- Chief DeputyUndersheriffAn Undersheriff is an office derived from ancient British practice and still extant in, among other places, the United Kingdom and the United States, though somewhat different forms.-United States:...
- Captain
- Sergeant (Head SAR Coordinator)
- Deputy (multiple Associate SAR Coordinators)
Volunteers
- Advisor
- Unit President
- Unit Vice President
- Quarter Master
- Secretary
- Team Leader (TL)
- Assistant Team Leader (ATL)
- Reserve
- Certified Team Member (certification through the State of Oregon)
- Uncertified Team Member
Membership
There are certain requirements to join MCSO Search and Rescue team, these being:- Desire to serve the community
- 14 years of age or older
- If in school, must maintain a Grade point average of 2.5 or higher
- Able to pass a criminal background checkBackground checkA background check or background investigation is the process of looking up and compiling criminal records, commercial records and financial records of an individual....
- Have up-to-date vaccinations
- Physical fitness: operating on foot and hikeHikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
for long periods of time - Maintain a minimum amount of required outdoor equipment and clothing
- On call 24/7
- Pass a state certification exam
Other agencies
There are a number of other agencies that assist with searches within Multnomah County, including:- Portland Mountain RescuePortland Mountain RescuePortland Mountain Rescue is a search and rescue organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States. It specializes in high angle mountain rescue in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, as well as providing educational materials and information for the local mountaineering community...
(PMR) - American Medical ResponseAmerican Medical ResponseAmerican Medical Response, Inc. or is an American provider of emergency and non-emergency medical transportation, operating in 38 states and the District of Columbia. It employs around 17,000 personnel and has a fleet of 4,400 vehicles...
Reach & Treat Team (AMR RAT team) - Pacific Northwest Search & Rescue (PNW SAR)
- Mountain Wave, who assist with communications and radio.
- AMR River Rescue
- Search-One K9.
- Washington CountyWashington County, Oregon- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
Explorer Search and Rescue - Clackamas county Search and Rescue
- Mount Hood Craig RATS
- Coast GuardCoast guardA coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
- Civil Air PatrolCivil Air PatrolCivil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
(CAP)
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Oregon
- Multnomah County Sheriff's OfficeMultnomah County Sheriff's OfficeMultnomah County Sheriff's Office serves the close to 700,000 residents of Multomah County, Oregon, United States. Multnomah County Sheriff's Office is a County Law Enforcement agency that handles 9-1-1 calls and assists other city agencies such as Portland Police Bureau. The current Sheriff is...