Search and rescue in the United States
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...
responsibilities.
In January 2008, the United States Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
(DHS) released the National Response Framework
National Response Framework
The United States National Response Framework is part of the National Strategy for Homeland Security that presents the guiding principles enabling all levels of domestic response partners to prepare for and provide a unified national response to disasters and emergencies...
(NRF) which, serves as the guiding document for a federal response during a national emergency. In addition to the NRF there are 15 annexes relating to Emergency Support Functions (ESF) which, includes other federal agencies that contain resources or expertise to support an emergency. Search and Rescue is included as ESF-9 and divides SAR into 4 primary elements, while assigning a federal agency with the lead role for each of the 4 elements.
- Structural Collapse-USAR: Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management AgencyFederal Emergency Management AgencyThe Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
- Waterborne: United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, United States Coast Guard AuxiliaryUnited States Coast Guard AuxiliaryThe United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard and was established on June 23, 1939 by an act of Congress as the United States Coast Guard Reserve, and was re-designated as the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary on February 19, 1941... - Inland-wilderness: United States Department of Interior, National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
- Aeronautical: United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Rescue Coordination CenterAir Force Rescue Coordination CenterAs the United States' inland search and rescue coordinator, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center serves as the single agency responsible for coordinating on-land federal SAR activities in the United States, including Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.Some of the AFRCC's more notable...
, 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...
, United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Aerospace Rescue and Recovery ServiceAir Rescue ServiceThe Air Rescue Service is a disestablished organization in the United States Air Force. Previously a subcommand of the Military Air Transport Service , a USAF major command , ARS was redesignated as the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service on 1 Jan 1966 when MATS was redesignated as the Military...
, US Navy (secondary missions for helicopter squadrons)
In the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
SAR standards are developed primarily by ASTM International
ASTM International
ASTM International, known until 2001 as the American Society for Testing and Materials , is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services...
and the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
NFPA
National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association is a United States trade association that creates and maintains private, copywrited, standards and codes for usage and adoption by local governments...
which are then used by organizations such as the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA), the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR), and the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
NFPA
National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association is a United States trade association that creates and maintains private, copywrited, standards and codes for usage and adoption by local governments...
to develop training that will meet or exceed those standards. Within ASTM International
ASTM International
ASTM International, known until 2001 as the American Society for Testing and Materials , is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services...
, most standards of relevance to SAR are developed by Committee F32 on Search and Rescue. Formed in 1988, the committee had 85 current members and jurisdiction of 38 approved standards.
National organizations
- Explorer Search and RescueExplorer Search and RescueExplorer 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...
- Mountain Rescue AssociationMountain Rescue AssociationIn the United States, mountain rescue is handled by professional teams within some national parks and by volunteer teams elsewhere. Volunteer teams are part of the Mountain Rescue Association and operate under the authority of the local sheriff's department....
- National Association for Search and Rescue
- National Association of Volunteer Search and Rescue Teams
- United States Search And Rescue Task ForceUnited States Search And Rescue Task ForceThe United States Search And Rescue Task Force is a voluntary organization located in the north east United States devoted to search and rescue and disaster relief. The organization covers the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia. The...
State organizations
- Bay Area Search and Rescue Council
- Marin County Sheriff's Office Search & RescueMarin County Sheriff's Office Search & RescueMarin County Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer organization in Marin County within the county's Sheriff's office. With approximately sixty active members year round, Marin County's Search and Rescue responds to searches for missing children and adults, evidence and other search requests in...
- San Mateo County Search and Rescue
- Long Beach Search & RescueLong Beach Search & RescueLong Beach Search and Rescue is a specialist Explorer post of the Learning for Life program with the Boy Scouts of America. It is an urban search and rescue unit based out of Long Beach, California, and is sponsored by the Long Beach Police Motor Patrol Association and Long Beach Firefighters'...
- San Diego Mountain Rescue TeamSan Diego Mountain Rescue TeamThe San Diego Mountain Rescue Team is an all-volunteer organization located in San Diego County, CA operating under the jurisdiction of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department...
Colorado
- Arapahoe Rescue PatrolArapahoe Rescue PatrolThe Arapahoe Rescue Patrol is a voluntary search and rescue team based in Arapahoe County, Colorado. Arapahoe Rescue Patrol has been entirely commanded and staffed by high school students since the formation of the team in 1957, with adults providing financial and administrative support.- Role in...
- Rampart Search and RescueRampart Search and RescueRampart Search and Rescue serves the communities within Adams County, Colorado. Its name is derived from the '70's TV show Emergency! where Rampart was the name of the hospital. Rampart search and rescue has been in operation since 1973...
Florida
- Brothers to the RescueBrothers to the RescueBrothers to the Rescue is a Miami-based activist organization headed by José Basulto. Formed by Cuban exiles, the group is widely known for its opposition to the Cuban government and, then President, Fidel Castro...
Michigan
- K-9 ONE Search and Rescue
Missouri
- Urban Search and Rescue Missouri Task Force 1Urban Search and Rescue Missouri Task Force 1is a Federal Emergency Management Agency based in Boone County, Missouri. MO-TF1 is sponsored by the Boone County Fire Protection District and is designated as the Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Team for the state of Missouri.-Overview:...
New York
- New York Search And Rescue
- Tri-State Emergency Team
North Carolina
- NCCERTNCCERTNCCERT , is a State-wide volunteer organization providing search and rescue services to local, state and federal agencies. NCCERT is based out of the Raleigh area of North Carolina.- Geography :...
(North Carolina Canine Emergency Response Team)
Ohio
- Rapid Assistance to Community Emergencies - Search and Rescue
Oregon
- Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and RescueMultnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and RescueMultnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue is a non-profit volunteer search and rescue resource for the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States...
Virginia
Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
is one of the few states that benefits from a state-coordinated system of training and response under the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM). Under Title 44 of the Code of Virginia, VDEM develops and maintains the Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Operations Plan (COVEOP) that includes the ESF-9 Annex for Search and Rescue. Similar to the federal version of ESF-9 under the National Response Framework
National Response Framework
The United States National Response Framework is part of the National Strategy for Homeland Security that presents the guiding principles enabling all levels of domestic response partners to prepare for and provide a unified national response to disasters and emergencies...
(NRF), VDEM divides SAR into 4 primary elements. While VDEM functions as the lead for ESF-9, many agencies, departments and volunteer organizations routinely responds to and supports SAR operations in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Washington
- King County Search and Rescue
- Snohomish County Volunteer Search and RescueSnohomish County Volunteer Search and RescueSnohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue is a search and rescue organization in Snohomish County, Washington, USA.SCVSAR is made up of several specialized units as well as units distributed geographically within the county....
Aeronautical
Search and rescue services for downed, missing, or overdue aircraft and Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs). Organizations include:- 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...
- Virginia State PoliceVirginia State PoliceVirginia State Police is a state agency, conceived in 1919 and established in 1932, that acts as the state police force for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The agency originated out of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles as an inspector and enforcer of highway laws...
, Aviation Division
Inland/Wilderness
For search and rescue of lost and missing persons in a wide variety of circumstances and environments, resources include:- Amherst County Search and Rescue
- Angel Search and Rescue
- Appalachian Professional Tracking Group
- Appalachian Search and Rescue ConferenceAppalachian Search and Rescue ConferenceThe Appalachian Search & Rescue Conference is a wilderness search and rescue 501 non-profit organization that provides professional volunteers trained in search management and field operations for missions in the mid-Atlantic region...
- Black Diamond Search and Rescue Council
- Blue and Gray Search and Rescue Dogs
- Commonwealth Search and Rescue
- DOGS-East Search and Rescue
- Eastern-Region of the National Cave Rescue Commission
- Greater Atlantic Rescue Dogs
- K-9 Alert Search and Rescue
- Mid-Atlantic D.O.G.S. Search and Rescue
- Old Dominion Search and Rescue
- Piedmont Search and Rescue
- Rockingham Augusta Search & Rescue
- Search and Rescue Dogs of Maryland
- Search and Rescue Tracking Institute
- Southwest Virginia Mountain Rescue Group
- Top-of-Virginia Search and Rescue
- Tidewater Search and Rescue
- TROTSAR Mounted Search and Rescue
- Virginia Search and Rescue Dog Association
Maritime/Waterborne
Providing search and rescue for vessels in distress in coastal and inland waters, resources include:- Virginia Department of Game and Inland FisheriesVirginia Department of Game and Inland FisheriesThe Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, or VDGIF, regulates fish and wildlife in Virginia. It is managed by the Director of Game and Inland Fisheries and overseen by the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries.-Mission:...
- Virginia Marine Resource Commission
- United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
- Smith Point Volunteer Sea Rescue
USAR/Disaster
To provide response in the event of collapsed structures and significant events, organizations include:- Virginia Task Force 1
- Virginia Task Force 2