Search and Rescue

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Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (MCSOSAR) is a volunteer organization that has become a key part of the network of the emergency response teams and law enforcement agencies that ensure the safety of our community. We are committed to serving our county, as well as neighboring counties throughout Oregon and Washington, in the event of a missing or injured person out of reach of the standard emergency resources.

MCSOSAR’s excellence is achieved through the rigorous training required to become a certified member of the team. The road to certification is a nine month journey consisting of weekly meetings held at the Sheriff’s Office and monthly outings held in the field. In a typical weekly meeting, certified members and leaders teach required skills through power point presentations, lectures, and demonstrations. Monthly outings are where new members are asked to showcase their classroom knowledge in various practical scenarios that prepare them for potential situations that could be met on an actual search and rescue mission. Outings can range from a twelve mile hike, requiring the demonstration of newly learned land navigation skills and a staged medical assessment and evacuation, to weekend training held entirely in snow requiring the construction of, and overnight stay in, a snow cave.

MCSOSAR is a youth-based organization with members of all ages and initial skill levels. While we were founded as an explorer post of the Boy Scouts of America, we are no longer affiliated with them and are no longer explorer scouts. We report to the Sheriff’s Office but are run through the leadership of volunteers. Under the oversight of a Sergeant and six deputies trained as SAR Coordinators, all training, member communications, and mission deployment are orchestrated through a hierarchy of adult advisors and youth leaders. Advisors are adult members who have been with the unit for over two years and petition to the Advisory Board for the position. They serve a variety of roles, including general administration of the organization, training curriculum development, asset management, and execution of all SAR activities. The youth leadership positions (Officers) are all positions elected by a majority vote of current members in the unit. Any certified member meeting specific requirements is eligible. The President and Vice President manage the group, while a Secretary and Quartermaster manage team equipment and paperwork. The general membership is further broken into five teams, four active member teams, and one reserve team. Each team is led by two elected certified members who ensure complete and proper training, notify each member in the event of a mission or activity, and serve search team leaders in the field during search and rescue missions. When a missing person is reported to the Sheriff’s Office, a SAR Coordinator notifies the Advisory staff which activates an Advisor and Officer paging system. This system is the communication backbone in which Team Leaders use to alert their team of a mission.

In addition to searching for missing people, MCSOSAR provides other vital services. These include conducting evidence searches for law-enforcement agencies, assisting with training exercises for SWAT/ CERT teams, OLCC stings, and various other volunteer activities serving our community. For more information on MCSO SAR, log on to www.mcsosar.com.

MCSOSAR’s mission is to enhance the safety of the public who reside, work, or recreate in the remote areas of Multnomah County by forming partnerships with volunteer organizations dedicated to the prevention of, and prompt response to, emergencies involving lost or injured persons, or created by natural disasters.

Written for the MCSO news letter by Lauren Jones