SEARCH AND RESCUE (SAR) UNIT

About 600 SAR missions are conducted in the State of Arizona each year. Within each county, Arizona’s fifteen county sheriffs are statutorily responsible for the conduct of SAR missions (ARS 11-441.C). While the sheriffs routinely share SAR resources throughout the state, Arizona’s continued success in SAR missions is assured by the ongoing standardization, training and techniques developed by the Sheriff’s SAR Coordinators, cooperating agencies, and volunteers.

ADEM’s State SAR Coordinator provides around the clock support to the county sheriffs. This support may include the reimbursement of eligible mission expenses, training, and the procurement of SAR mission resources from county, state, and federal entities. ADEM also provides Workman’s Compensation coverage for the sheriffs’ SAR volunteers working actual missions or training events.

ADEM coordinates missing aircraft searches in the State of Arizona. While the search areas routinely include adjoining states and several counties, the mission success is dependent upon the cooperative efforts of many agencies including the county sheriffs, the US Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, the Arizona Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, and others.

If you require SAR assistance, contact the county sheriff’s department listed below. The State of Arizona SAR Coordinator can be reached at 1-800-411-2336.

COUNTY SHERIFFS' DEPARTMENTS