Search & Rescue
Available 24/7/365 So That Others May Live!
The Nevada County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to helping those in the community who become lost or need rescuing. The Sheriff's Office partners with volunteers from the community to form the Nevada County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team(NCSSAR). NCSSAR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organized to carry out this important function for Nevada County. If you would like to see more information or photographs please visit us at our Facebook Page or on the NCSSAR Website.Monthly Meetings
NCSSAR holds monthly meetings in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the Eric Rood Administrative Center on the first Monday of every month at 6:30pm (Excluding Labor day, which is the following Tuesday and in December when there is no monthly meeting). Members of the public interested in joining NCSSAR are encouraged to attend a monthly meeting to learn more about the program and determine if they are interested in joining the NCSSAR team.
Qualification Requirements
Becoming a member of NCSSAR is a commitment and requires dedication to the team. The basic academy consists of classroom sessions and physical testing, which is followed up by an evaluation. The following are the requirements to become a Type II searcher:
Fitness Hike
Fitness Hike held on a Saturday at 9:00am. The Fitness Hike is 8 miles long, with a 20 pound pack, and about 1,000 feet of elevation gain. The Fitness hike must be completed within 3 hours.
Wilderness First Aid & CPR Training
Wilderness First Aid and CPR Training (NCSSAR conducts in house training or you may show proof of an equivalent)
Classroom Sessions
There are 6 classroom sessions that occur once a week from about 6:00pm to 10:00pm. The classes cover introduction to SAR, ICS/SEMS, 24 hour pack requirements, crime scene awareness, Interview Skills, Clue Awareness, Search Tactics, Map and Compass, GPS, Helicopter Safety Training, Man Tracking, Radio Communications, Basic Knot Tying, Rough Terrain, Litter Loading and Transport, and many other skills.
Field Day
Field Day is the Saturday following the 6 classroom sessions. Field day is set up to be like evaluation day so that you can test the skills you have learned, but you are still in a learning environment and may ask questions to make sure you fully understand and may develop your skills appropriately.
Evaluation Day
Evaluation Day is held on a Saturday typically about a month after field day. This allows members to demonstrate their skills, because unlike Field Day you cannot ask questions during Evaluation Day. It is a necessity to test the proficiency of members to ensure they have the proper skills when it comes to deploying in the field.
Upon completion of the qualification requirements, members are provided their first set of uniforms at no cost and added to the call-out list so they can help the community when people go missing or become lost and endangered. As stated in the beginning of the qualification requirements, this is a commitment and requires dedication to the team.
Submit an Application
If you enjoy the outdoors and are looking to support your community consider joining NCSSAR. You can fill out a portion of the SAR Application (PDF) using Adobe Reader. After filling out the application you can email it to us (ncssarnc@gmail.com). Please put your first and last name in the subject line of the email.
The application will be reviewed by the supervisor in charge of Search and Rescue who will be in touch with you regarding the process. Thank you for your interest in NCSSAR and helping the community.
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Shannan Moon
Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator
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Sheriff - Coroner - Public Administrator
Physical Address
950 Maidu Avenue
Suite 280
Nevada City, CA 95959
Phone 530-265-1471Fax 530-470-0439Emergency Phone 911
Hours
Monday - Friday excluding holidays
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.