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 Sgt. Darren Rice and Deputy Mike Matthews.