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Organization / Statistics / FAQ's
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Affiliated Search & Rescue Teams
of Washoe County, Nevada
P.O. Box 20012
Reno, NV 89515-0012
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NRS 248.092 Searches and rescues. The sheriff is responsible for searches and rescues within his county.
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All search and rescue missions in the State of Nevada are the responsibility of the Sheriff of the county where the search is to be conducted. The Sheriff of Washoe County is Mike Haley. Under Sheriff Haley's command are two full-time employees who study and oversee all aspects of Search and Rescue. These two officers, a Sergeant and a Deputy, supervise the teams of volunteers and act as a liason between the teams and the Washoe County Sheriff's Office. Currently, there are over 400 volunteers within the eight officially recognized, privately organized teams.
The Washoe County Sheriff's Office also works in cooperation with local Fire Agencies and the Pyramid Lake Reservation agencies for search and rescue services. The local BLM Offices are an important asset that work with the Sheriff's Office on searches in the northern part of the county.
Currently, the two full-time search and rescue positions in the Washoe County Sheriff's Office are held by Sergeant Ralph Caldwell and Deputy Jereme Wormington.
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Statistical Information
2009 STATISTICS
TOTAL MISSIONS - 516
15 Rescues, 89 Searches, 92 Community Service, 320 Training
TOTAL VICTIMS - 79
74 Safely Found, 1 Lives Saved, 4 Deceased / Recovered.
TOTAL SAVINGS TO THE TAXPAYER - $993,570.00
21,096.5 Volunteer hours valued at $47/hr based on overtime deputy wages.
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Procedure
How a Search & Rescue Mission is Initiated
When a report of a missing person is called into the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, the SAR Coordinator is notified through dispatch. Officers within the jurisdiction of the reporting person are sent to interview the reporting person to collect any and all information available to help us locate a starting point for the missing person.
Based on that information, the SAR Coordinator determines the urgency of the search. If enough information exists, a search will be initiated. Teams are activated through an alpha paging system. All SAR members and staff respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to calls for service.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Search & Rescue FAQ's
How long should I wait before I report someone missing? I was told I had to wait 24 hours.
If you believe that someone is missing or overdue, you should report them right away to law enforcement. The 24 hour rule does not apply to search and rescue, however there must be reasonable circumstances for us to justify our response. The determination of whether SAR will respond is left up to the SAR Coordinator. He determines the urgency of the response.
How much does WCSO charge for a search?
The WCSO will never charge anyone for a legitimate search. Search and rescue operations are provided for through the use of volunteers from the community. These volunteers allow the Sheriff's Office to provide Search & Rescue at practically no cost as a service to the taxpayers and visitors of Washoe County.
How does the Sheriff's Office conduct a search & rescue mission for no fee?
The Washoe County Sheriff's Office utilizes teams of well trained volunteers supervised by professional paid deputies that have been trained in SAR management. These volunteers are dedicated citizen's from the community that donate their time, vehicles and equipment to our cause. The teams finance a large portion of their operations with donations from the public and private grants.
How do I join search and rescue?
For information on joining one of the various non-profit organizations, please contact SAR staff or any of the team links on the contact page on this web site.
How do I make a donation to search and rescue?
Most of our teams are incorporated and qualify as 501(c)3 non-profit charitable groups for tax purposes. The teams have various fundraising programs in place. For more information on donating funds directly to the teams, please contact SAR staff or any of the team links on the contact page on this web site. Donations to the teams are tax deductible!
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