Our Mission

"To Do More For The  World Then The World Does For You"

Henry Ford

We are a First Responder Organization (FRO) based in Sarasota County, Florida comprised of highly-trained professional, uniformed volunteers dedicated to providing search & rescue (SAR) services to government agencies in times of need.

Sarasota County US&R services are available to Emergency Management, Fire, EMS, and Law Enforcement agencies on short notice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to manage or assist in the location of missing persons or remains.

Sarasota County US&R is a team of highly motivated individuals dedicated to serving the community at large along with individuals and families in their time of crisis. For this reason, significant time is dedicated to earn and maintain qualifications in one or more specialized disciplines, in addition to internal training requirements and physical fitness standards.

All deployable units are “On Call” 24/7 in order to serve the community at a moment’s notice.

As a 100% volunteer team, all donations are used to directly support field operations. Team members individually pay for their own uniforms, gear, transportation, and certifications.

Meeting the goals of our mission statement requires members to invest numerous hours training to prepare for their annual certification and ultimately to provide a valuable resource to the community.

Below is a detailed list of the types of training our members receive each year to achieve and maintain operational readiness. If you would like more information on training or would like to become a volunteer please contact Us.

• WILDERNESS SEARCH TECHNIQUES
  • Training includes search techniques relative to searching wilderness areas with and without K-9’s. Including types of search patterns, Critical Separation, Terrain issues, Weather issues, and temperature issues.
• WATER SEARCH TECHNIQUES
  • Techniques of water searching with and without K-9’s, including grid searching techniques, effects of water temperature, thermoclines, low head dams, searching from shore vs searching from boats. Water depth vs distance.
• MAN-TRACKING
  • Training includes basic man-tracking techniques. How to locate and follow a trail or clues left by a person in the desert or wilderness.
• CRIME SCENE PRESERVATION
  • Proper techniques on how to preserve a crime scene until it can be released to a sworn officer of the law. Including protecting evidence and clues from the effects of weather and wildlife.
• FIRST AID & CPRALL
  • Operational members are required to have a minimum of First Aid and CPR for the Professional Rescuer including training on AED’s (Automatic Defibrillators). Many members have more extensive medical training
• BASIC SEARCH AND RESCUE
  • A four day class serving as an introduction to Search and Rescue geared towards the new-searcher. It includes why we Search, Types of Search, Search Urgency, the Incident Command System, SAR Plans, Incident Action Plans, External Influences on Searches, Critiques, Navigation, Survival, Medical Emergencies relative to Searching, Low Angle Extrication, Clue Awareness, Crime Scene Preservation, Man-Tracking, SAR Dogs, SAR Resources, and Preventative SAR
• COMMUNICATIONS
  • Training techniques include using a unified communications structure, proper radio protocols, and communications with multiple agencies
• ADVANCED SEARCH AND RESCUE
  • In depth training geared for the Search Manager or personnel designated to deploy specialty resources.