Park County Search & Rescue Foundation
The Park County Search & Rescue Foundation (Foundation) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization established in 1974 in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation is therefore governed by these rules and regulations as well as an established Board of Directors.
The Foundation was established in order to connect philanthropic community members with a way to provide financial support to the Park County Search & Rescue (PCSAR) in furtherance of their mission. Donors to the Foundation may designate charitable gifts to the Foundation which shall only be used to pay for the immediate and long-term needs of PCSAR and the Foundation in furtherance of their mission with the approval of the Board of Directors.
Park County Search & Rescue
The purpose of the Park County Search & Rescue (PCSAR) is to organize for, plan for, train for, maintain equipment for, and respond to incidents requiring search and rescue assistance as requested, directed, and authorized by the Sheriff of Park County, Wyoming. This is accomplished in three ways:
- By identifying hazardous areas, activities or situations and assisting in education of the public about these hazards and ways to avoid or minimize them thereby eliminating or minimizing the hazards if practical;
- By training all PCSAR team members in basic search and rescue skills and training special teams for more technically demanding emergencies; and
- By responding to calls for assistance in searching for lost or missing persons and rescuing persons in distress within the training and performance capabilities of the members.
PCSAR is comprised of some 30+ volunteers from all walks of life who make up the search and rescue teams in Park County. The members are trained in skills such as: first aid and CPR; wilderness search; aircraft and emergency locator transmitter (ELT) search; urban search; search management; swift water and ice rescue; mountain rescue; K-9 search; Incident Command System; wilderness travel; land navigation; avalanche search; and critical incident stress management. Some of the team members are extensively trained in emergency medicine and other specialized rescue techniques and many of them are community instructors of various outdoor skills and safety programs.
PCSAR operates under the authority and direction of the Park County Sheriff as mandated by Wyoming State Statutes. Members of PCSAR are considered to be a volunteer civilian branch of the Sheriff’s Office and are governed by the Sheriff and/or a
Coordinator appointed by the Sheriff. The Sheriff and/or Coordinator are responsible for establishing and reviewing the search and rescue priorities, requirements, rules, regulations, guidelines, and constraints for all county-sponsored and recognized units and volunteers.
The PCSAR teams also assist the local law enforcement, emergency management, volunteer fire departments and ambulance services when extra help is needed with logistical support or medical/rescue services during serious incidents.
To learn more about becoming a volunteer member of the Park County Search and Rescue Unit visit our How to Volunteer page.