Search and rescue in the United States

Search and rescue in the United States involves a wide range of organizations that have search and rescue responsibilities.

In January 2008, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the National Response Framework (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.^[1]

• Structural Collapse-USAR: Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Waterborne: United States Coast Guard, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
• Inland-wilderness: United States Department of Interior, National Park Service
• Aeronautical: United States Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, Civil Air Patrol, United States Air Force Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service, US Navy (secondary missions for helicopter squadrons)

In the US SAR standards are developed primarily by ASTM International and the US NFPA which are then used by organizations such as the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA), the US National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR), and the US NFPA to develop training that will meet or exceed those standards.^[2] Within ASTM International, 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.^[2]

Contents 1 National organizations 2 State organizations 3 Aeronautical 4 Inland/Wilderness 5 Maritime/Waterborne 6 USAR/Disaster 7 References

National organizations

• Explorer Search and Rescue
• Mountain Rescue Association
• National Association for Search and Rescue^[3]
• National Association of Volunteer Search and Rescue Teams^[4]
• United States Search And Rescue Task Force

State organizations

California

• Bay Area Search and Rescue Council^[5]
• Marin County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue^[6]
• San Mateo County Search and Rescue^[7]
• Long Beach Search & Rescue
• San Diego Mountain Rescue Team^[8]

Colorado

• Arapahoe Rescue Patrol
• Rampart Search and Rescue

Florida

• Brothers to the Rescue

Michigan

• K-9 ONE Search and Rescue^[9]

Missouri

• Urban Search and Rescue Missouri Task Force 1^[10]

New York

• New York Search And Rescue^[11]
• Tri-State Emergency Team^[12]

North Carolina

• NCCERT (North Carolina Canine Emergency Response Team)

Ohio

• Rapid Assistance to Community Emergencies - Search and Rescue^[13]

Oregon

• Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue

Virginia

Virginia 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 (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.^[14][15]

Washington

• King County Search and Rescue
• Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue

Aeronautical

Search and rescue services for downed, missing, or overdue aircraft and Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs). Organizations include:

• Civil Air Patrol^[16]
• Virginia State Police, Aviation Division^[17]

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[18] Angel Search and Rescue[19] Appalachian Professional Tracking Group[20] Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference[21] Black Diamond Search and Rescue Council[22] Blue and Gray Search and Rescue Dogs[23] Commonwealth Search and Rescue[24] DOGS-East Search and Rescue[25] Eastern-Region of the National Cave Rescue Commission[26] Greater Atlantic Rescue Dogs[27] K-9 Alert Search and Rescue[28]

Mid-Atlantic D.O.G.S. Search and Rescue[29] Old Dominion Search and Rescue[30] Piedmont Search and Rescue[31] Rockingham Augusta Search & Rescue[32] Search and Rescue Dogs of Maryland[33] Search and Rescue Tracking Institute[34] Southwest Virginia Mountain Rescue Group[35] Top-of-Virginia Search and Rescue[36] Tidewater Search and Rescue[37] TROTSAR Mounted Search and Rescue[38] Virginia Search and Rescue Dog Association[39]

Maritime/Waterborne

Providing search and rescue for vessels in distress in coastal and inland waters, resources include:

• Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries^[40]
• Virginia Marine Resource Commission^[41]
• United States Coast Guard
• Smith Point Volunteer Sea Rescue^[42]

USAR/Disaster

To provide response in the event of collapsed structures and significant events, organizations include:

• Virginia Task Force 1^[43]
• Virginia Task Force 2^[44]

References