The Fresno County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Mountaineering Team was formed as an auxiliary unit of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office in 1982. We are a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization of diversified volunteers, formed to augment the Fresno County Sheriff's Office during search and rescue operations in Fresno County and throughout the state of California. 

Our team members are trained in various search and rescue disciplines including: orienteering, tracking, wilderness and winter survival, first-aid/CPR, swift water rescue, high/low angle rescue, helicopter safety, search techniques and search management. These skills facilitate our ability to respond to a variety of urban and wilderness emergencies. We train constantly, as these skills perish with time. We earn nothing, expect nothing, and are grateful for searches that end well, although we know that that does not always happen.

Each team member is responsible for providing all of their personal equipment to be mission-ready. The cost of hiking apparel, boots, backpacks, sleeping systems, food, etc., is all donated by each member, typically costing ~$2,500 each. In addition, the SAR team members donate thousands of service hours participating in Search and Rescue Operations in Fresno, Madera, Tulare and San Luis Obispo Counties, as well as Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Beyond SAR missions and monthly training, members also donate hundreds of service hours to other non-profit organizations in our area and sponsor events to promote safety in the outdoors.

We stand ready, 24x7x365 for the next call.

Thank you for your interest and welcome to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue Mountaineering Team!