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Teller County Search and Rescue
Teller County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit, mountain search and rescue team based in Teller County, Colorado. The team operates under the jurisdiction of the Teller County Sheriff’s Office.
About Teller County Search and Rescue...
TCSAR is comprised of 30 to 40 volunteers, devoted to ensuring that the public enjoys their time spent in our County. Members are trained in search, rescue, disaster aid, emergency medicine and wilderness education. Team members get called upon regularly to speak at local functions on various aspects relating to wilderness education.
Our mission is "locating and rescuing people in all areas of Teller County and portions of the surrounding area." The area includes hundreds of square miles of rugged national forest land including a portion of Pike’s Peak. We can, and do, respond elsewhere in the state to assist other search and rescue units. By building strong relationships with these other departments, the result is a mutual assistance environment that benefits Teller County as well as our neighbors.
The members spend hundreds of hours of personal time training – and of course, responding to actual missions. Each of our members purchases their own personal gear. Because field searchers must be able to navigate and survive in the wilderness for multiple days in any weather conditions, their personal cost for gear, typically, will exceed $1000. Members utilize their own vehicles for many missions. Often-time members take time off from work to participate in missions which cover a variety of situations including searches, rescues, snow emergencies, and evacuations. The one thing they all have in common is, they are emergency situations and have to be responded to in that mindset. Therefore the Teller County Sheriff’s Office alerts the mission coordinator and members at any time, day or night. Another mission type TCSAR typically covers is crowd and traffic control for law enforcement agencies and The City of Woodland Park.
Each member of the unit must undergo extensive training before they can participate in any mission. They must learn navigational skills (map, compass & GPS), survival techniques, first aid, radio communications, search and evacuation procedures, avalanche rescue, and many others. Members attend extensive, specialized trainings throughout the state, which can mean days or even weeks of their personal time. There are also joint trainings with neighboring Counties. The unit arranges for trainings with Flight for Life personnel and makes use of the special skills available from other organizations. TCSAR continues to increase medical capabilities. There are several First Responders, EMTs, and an MD within the unit. This covers most emergency situations encountered on a mission.
TCSAR also welcomes teenagers who have an interest in Search and Rescue to participate in trainings and missions, under adult supervision, by way of the “Explorers” program – which is affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America. They qualify, train and participate in missions as any member of TCSAR with some minor restrictions - such as not driving emergency vehicles or participating in a mission during school hours. There are usually several Explorers actively participating in Unit activities.
