Whatcom County Search and Rescue
WCSAR is comprised of a network of five local Search and Rescue units. With over 250 volunteers combined, we have a range of specialties that include emergency communications, ground search, K9, EMS, mobile emergency transport, dive, glacier and technical rope rescue, and swiftwater rescue.
WCSAR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose members provide free search and rescue services throughout Whatcom County. Need us? Call 911 to request our services.
SAR in the NewsMission Statement
WCSAR members strive to maintain a constant state of readiness for search, rescue, recovery, and incident response, while promoting safety and outdoor education. WCSAR shall work in affiliation with state, federal, and local emergency management agencies, utilizing the principles of the Incident Command System (ICS).
WCSAR is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to serving everyone equally. We welcome and support all people regardless of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status — and that commitment extends to every aspect of how we operate.
WHATCOM COUNTY 4X4 UNIT – MOBILE UNIT
Specializing in:
- Transportation of search and rescue teams
- Transport, situation assessment, and rescue during extreme weather events.
- Transport, situation assessment, and rescue during disasters.
- Equipment transport
- Vehicle recovery
- Wilderness / Urban searches
- Evacuations
Equipment:
- Winches and winch accessories
- Radios
- APRS Tracking
- Chainsaw
- On sight lighting
- Commercial generators
Summit to Sound: Ground Search & Specialized Teams
Specializing in:
- Ground search
- Evidence search
- Evacuations
- Sandbagging
- K-9 team (land and water), human remains detection
- Equine team
- Swift water/Flood rescue
- Medical (affiliated member of EMS Council)
- Wilderness, rural, and urban SAR
- Patient packout
Equipment:
- Boat (river & lake operations)
- Throw Bags
- Patient packaging
- Rope rigging
- Radios
- ATV
- Equines
- K9
Affiliated member of the EMS Council
Bellingham Mountain Rescue
Technical Rescue bellinghammountainrescue.com
Specializing in:
- Technical rope rescue & recovery
- Glacier rope rescue & recovery
- Backcountry rescue & recovery
- Wilderness SAR
- Medical (affiliated member of EMS Council)
Equipment:
- Rope rigging
Whatcom Emergency Communications Group (WECG)
Emergency & Disaster Communications wecg.org
Specializing in:
County-wide emergency radio communications in times of disaster or loss of conventional media.
Communication amateur radio license training for interested parties.
Training:
- Communications (amateur and commercial)
- Digital communications
Equipment:
- Complete communications facility
- Radios
- Communications Van
Whatcom County Dive Rescue
Underwater Rescue
Specializing in:
- Fresh and saltwater diving
- Underwater search and recovery
- Underwater investigation
- Underwater evidence search
Equipment:
- Dive gear
- Boats
- Underwater communications
- Underwater photography
Council EquipmenT
We have specialized equipment and skills within the Search and Rescue organization. We have listed just a few.
- Base Management
- Scene Security
- Remote Scene Access
- Communications
- Crowd Management
- Situation Assessments and access routing (aka windshield survey)
- Man tracking
- Medical support/Triage and subject care (First Aid, EMT, Dr., Nurses)
- Radio relay
- Recovery of subjects
- Sandbagging
- Road, urban, trail, & wilderness searching
- Dogs (Air scent, trailing, and HRD)
- Disaster zone search
- Transport of people and equipment during search activities, disaster events, and/or severe weather
- Vehicle recovery
- Water rescue
How we help the community:
- Search for missing persons (hikers, hunters, children, the elderly, etc).
- Rescue of stranded people
- Emergency transport in severe weather
- Support during disasters
- Safety Education
How we help other agencies:
- Provide additional manpower
- Provide a wide range of communications
- Assist with scene preservation
- Provide area containment
- Provide & operate equipment for a variety of situations on land or water
- Support evidence and missing persons search
HOURS OF OPERATION
WCSAR volunteers are on call 24/7. If there is an emergency, call 911. If someone is lost, please don’t
wait to call for help. Time is of the essence. Email us with any questions regarding joining, our capabilities, donating, or any other non-emergency questions. For more information on how to contact us, visit our contact page.
Our building is unstaffed.
LOCATION
Whatcom County Search and Rescue
1041 W Smith Rd, Bellingham, WA 98226
