Virginia Search & Rescue Council, Inc.

Fostering communication in the search and rescue community.

Member Groups

All of the groups listed below operate under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management . For additional information on becoming a member or VASARCO, please go to Membership Procedures.

Air SAR

Canine

  • Blue and Gray Search and Rescue Dogs (768)
    Harrisonburg, VA: Blue and Gray is a professional volunteer wilderness Search and Rescue organization serving the Mid-Atlantic region. Blue and Gray is a member of the Virginia Search and Rescue Council and operates as a state resource under an MOU with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

  • DOGS-East Search and Rescue (783)
    Falls Church, VA: DOGS-East is a professional volunteer wilderness Search and Rescue organization serving the Mid-Atlantic region and is an active member of the Virginia SAR Council.

  • Greater Atlantic Rescue Dogs (728)
    Virginia Beach, VA: An all-volunteer search and rescue organization, Greater Atlantic Rescue Dogs (GARD) uses specially trained dogs to search for and find lost or missing people in wilderness, rural or disaster environments. GARD uses air scent dogs that will detect any human scent in a given area. They are a member of the Virginia Search and Rescue Council and operate as a state resource with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

  • K9 Alert Search and Rescue Dogs, Inc (701)
    Powhatan, VA: Based in the Richmond area, K-9 Alert Search and Rescue Dogs, Inc is a member of the Virginia Search and Rescue Council and operates as a state resource under a MOU with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

  • Mid-Atlantic D.O.G.S. (333)
    Rockville, MD: Mid-Atlantic D.O.G.S. (MA/D) has dog/handler teams located in various geographic locations throughout the states of Maryland and Virginia. MA/D strives to provide quick response for search assistance in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. The unit is also available to respond to more distant locations.

  • Northern Virginia Search & Rescue Dogs (1,023)
    Oak Hill (Herndon), VA: NOVASARD, formerly known as Search Services America, mission is to provide personnel trained in multiple disciplines used in search and rescue including providing trained search dogs and handlers to requesting official agencies for the purpose of finding missing or lost persons; trained search management personnel as required by requesting official agencies; and educational programs and presentations to requesting groups on how not to get lost, how to get found, how to be safe around dogs, and related topics.

  • Virginia Bloodhound Search & Rescue Association (393)
    Berryville, VA: The Virginia Bloodhound Search & Rescue Association provides, as a benefit to the public, trained bloodhounds to assist in searching for lost, missing and suspected persons, upon request, by any official agency, day or night, under any and all conditions where bloodhounds can efficiently operate.

  • Virginia Search and Rescue Dog Association (655)
    Nokesville, VA: The Virginia Search and Rescue Dog Association (VSRDA) is a highly skilled volunteer canine search and rescue unit. VSRDA exclusively utilizes German Shepherd dogs that are trained to locate missing persons in wilderness, drowning, forensic cadaver, disaster, and aircraft detection search and rescue missions.

 

Ground

  • Blue Ridge Mountain Rescue Group (250)
    Charlottesville, VA: The Blue Ridge Mountain Rescue Group (BRMRG) is a member of the Appalachian Search and Rescue Conference (ASRC), an emergency resource that manages and assists in the search and rescue of lost people and aircraft throughout Virginia and its bordering states.

  • Commonwealth Search & Rescue (202)
    Daleville, VA: CSAR is a state resource and member organization of the Virginia Search and Rescue Council, an advisory group to the Department of Emergency Management, in Richmond. When called upon, they provide communication support, equine teams and trained ground searchers and field team signcutters as the situation requires.

  • Old Dominion Search and Rescue Team (98)
    Henry County, VA:  ODSAR provides primary assistance to missing person incidents in Henry County,  Patrick County and the City of Martinsville. ODSAR is a member of the VA SAR Council and has an MOU with VA Department of Emergency Management. ODSAR provides logistic and tactical support, communications and auxiliary power and shelter to management.  ODSAR is prepared for urban and wilderness searches of missing persons and aircraft when needed. To contact team use e-mail: search4u2@earthlink.net.

  • Piedmont Search & Rescue (1,111)
    Midlothian, VA: Based in the Greater Richmond Virginia area, the Piedmont Search and Rescue (PSAR) group is dedicated to saving lives in the outdoors through prevention programs, public education, and mission response.

  • Rockingham-Augusta Search & Rescue
    Bridgewater, VA: Providing ground search and rescue for the Shenandoah Valley, Commonwealth of Virginia, and surrounding states since 1984. We operate in the field, and in the incident command post focusing on above ground search and below ground rescue.

  • Shenandoah Mountain Rescue Group (857)
    Vienna, VA: The Shenandoah Mountain Rescue Group (SMRG) is a professional volunteer wilderness search and rescue organization established to provide assistance to those who become lost or injured in the outdoors.

  • Southwest Virginia Mountain Rescue Group (266)
    Blacksburg, VA: The Southwest Virginia Mountain Rescue Group (SWVAMRG) is a wilderness search and rescue organization that provides professional trained search management and field personnel for missions in Virginia as well as the mid Atlantic region. Services include all-weather search and rescue of missing persons and downed aircraft, complete search and rescue management, technical and semi-technical evacuations, and safety and survival education.

  • Tidewater Search & Rescue (220)
    Hampton, VA: Tidewater Search and Rescue (TSAR) is a non-profit volunteer organization based in Norfolk Virginia. We provide incident command, staff and ground search resources for lost person searches in both wilderness and urban settings and downed aircraft throughout Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Our members are trained in technical and semi-technical rescue, search tactics/techniques and land navigation to accomplish this mission.

  • Top of Virginia Search & Rescue (208)
    New Market, VA: TOVSAR is a volunteer wilderness Search & Rescue group offering search management, ground search, and semi-technical rescue for missing people and aircraft. Our primary response area is Frederick, Clarke, Shenandoah and Warren Counties and the City of Winchester in Virginia, but we will respond anywhere in Virginia and neighboring states through our association with Virginia's Department of Emergency Management.

State

  • Virginia Department of Emergency Management (676)
    The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) is a state agency and member of the Virginia SAR Council. VDEM works closely with local government emergency managers, other state agencies, voluntary organizations and federal agencies to ensure a comprehensive, efficient and effective response to emergencies and disasters throughout Virginia.