Volunteer

No prior experience or training needed!

To participate in Virginia search and rescue you must join one of VASARCO’s member teams. We have 21 teams (Groups) to choose from that are conveniently located across the State. Some teams are general ground search and rescue teams and others specialize in different areas such as K9, man-tracking, technical rescue, etc. 

Team members come from all walks of life and you need no previous training or experience. Although most teams have small annual dues for administrative costs, all training is provided for free by the team and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM). Generally, you will be required to purchase your uniform and personal response equipment.

We recommend that you visit the website of each of the different teams with links to their sites on our “Who We Are” page under “Groups”. Most teams do a good job of listing what they do and what is required to join. Keep in mind while reviewing each Group to look into how far they are from your home and what types of training and response resources they provide. Although all teams train and operate within the same standards, and respond Statewide, you want to be sure to choose the team that is most convenient for training and responding to missions.    

Donate

The Virginia Search and Rescue Council (VASARCO) is a not for profit, 501c3 organization consisting of members from state and local government, and search and rescue organizations. The Council fosters communication between these organizations and helps to develop and coordinate the search and rescue system in Virginia.

There are no paid members within the organization. All contributions are tax deductible and go towards enhancing the effectiveness of providing search and rescue service across the State by our all volunteer associated organizations. 

Advocate

Although the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) provides overall response coordination and training to the volunteer SAR community, there has never been an actual dedicated budget line to provide for search and rescue training and services. Since the funding is provided on an ad hoc basis, it is difficult to plan and allocate funding in a consistent manner. Please contact your state representative and senator and encourage them to support line-item funding within the VDEM budget for the State SAR program. Having a reliable source of funding assists local SAR groups to recruit, train, and maintain readiness, so we can respond any time day or night to help find a lost person.