About Us The Pierce County Search and Rescue Council is an affiliation of volunteer organizations working with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department to foster search and rescue activities within the county. The Council was organized in 1966, although several units have been involved in search and rescue work for a much longer time. The purpose of the Council is to bring the units and their members together for discussion of mutual search and rescue (SAR)-related matters and to promote closer coordination during actual SAR missions. The Council supports all SAR-related activities and public education on outdoor safety. Actual missions in which the Council's units have participated include searches for missing or stranded mountain climbers, hikers, hunters, fishermen, skiers and elderly persons or small children who wander away. Some units assist local law enforcement agencies in locating and recovering evidence instrumental in criminal trials. Each unit and their individual members provide their own transportation and specialized equipment. Trail bikes,. 4x4 vehicles, horses, radios, mountain rescue equipment and wilderness camping gear is individually purchased with no use of federal, state or county tax funds. Each unit provides specialized training to ensure their members are prepared for search missions. Individuals on field search and rescue teams have received training in survival, first aid, CPR, wilderness navigation, search and rescue techniques, rescue and recovery and communication. The Council conducts periodic field exercises and sponsors classroom training courses for the units and their members. The activities of various units in the Council are performed at the request of the Pierce County Sheriff and/or law enforcement agencies at no cost to the individuals involved. Washington State law (RCW 38.52.400) states"....The chief law enforcement officer of each political subdivision is responsible for search and rescue activities". In Pierce County this is the responsibility of the Sheriff's Department. This Department and the Tacoma Police Department work together and have teams trained as SAR Coordinators. One of these teams is always on call. All on-duty SAR deputies/officers have an assigned vehicle and can be on scene shortly after receiving a missing person report. During a search and rescue mission the SAR deputy coordinates the activities of all volunteer units.
Council Memebrs!!!!! Pierce County 4X4 SAR Containment, transportation, and Road searches. Explorer Search And Rescue Trained young adults 14 to 99 years in age. Urban and wilderness ground searcher, trained in communications, first aid, survival, and evacuation techniques. German Shepherd Search Dogs Air Scent Dogs Northwest Bloodhound SAR, Inc. Man Trailing Hounds Peninsula Mounted SAR A Mounted Horse Unit Wilderness Searches Tacoma Mountain Rescue Unit Technical rescue; Mountain, and Urban. Rapid Response Advanced Mobile Search And Rescue A year round resource, RRAMSAR operates quads, dirt bikes and a compliment of snowmobiles for wintertime operations. TACTICAL AREA COMMUNICATIONS We operate the Communications and Command Center Vehicle for various emergency, disaster related and routine operations in Pierce County.
Who Makes up the Council? If you have any questions about the Pierce County SAR Council and/or its units we have a voice mail telephone at (253)798-6175 and upon getting your message we will put you in touch with the proper unit or person for your inquiry. Again, thank you for your continued support of the Pierce County Search and Rescue Council and its member units, without this support we would not be able to do what we do best.
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