SO YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SEARCH AND RESCUE
We are the Ground Team, one of eight teams that make up the entire Placer County Search and Rescue (SAR) effort. We are a volunteer organization, which receives its authority and funding from the Placer County Sheriff’s Department.
Our mission is to be ready and able to search for and rescue lost or missing persons, provide assistance at crime scenes, and provide other general assistance as directed by the Sheriff's Department.
We are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long. We leave our homes usually within a half-hour after receiving a call for our assistance. It is not unusual to get a call in the early morning hours, e.g. 3 A.M. We go throughout Placer County and upon request to other counties in Northern California. We go in all types of weather in all the seasons. Hence, we individually ensure we are always accessible via cell phone or email. Occasionally, we are used at crime scenes to help the Sheriff’s Department search for evidence.
Regular trainings are held each month on the third Wednesday at 18:30. We usually have our meetings in the field in order to fine-tune our SAR skills.
What you can expect from Membership:
What is expected of SAR Members:
The SAR Technician Training Program consists of the following classes:
The classes are free and may be taken in any order. The classes are taught by PCSO SAR instructors and generally take one weekday evening and a full Saturday and Sunday. Map and Compass, Rough Terrain Rescue and Tracking must be retaken and passed every 24 months. Also all unit members must maintain current First Aid and CPR certifications.
If you are interested in joining the Ground Team:
The other teams that make up the remainder of Placer County Search and Rescue are Dog, Four-Wheel Drive, Motorcycle, Communications, Mounted, Mountain Rescue, and the Nordic Team in the Lake Tahoe basin. The Swift Water Unit is staffed primarily with deputies.
For more information regarding one or more of these teams please go here