National Association for Search and Rescue

National Association for Search and Rescue
Name	National Association for Search and Rescue
Abbreviation	NASAR
Formation	1972
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Columbus, Ohio
Region served	United States, Canada, international partners
Leader title	Executive Director

National Association for Search and Rescue The National Association for Search and Rescue is a nonprofit organization focused on search and rescue standards, safety programs, and volunteer coordination. It provides training and certification for regional teams, supports incident command practices, and publishes technical guidance used by emergency management and first responder communities. NASAR collaborates with federal, state, and local entities to improve readiness for missing person incidents, disaster response, and wilderness recovery.

History

The organization was founded in 1972 amid increased public interest following incidents like the Great Northeast Blackout of 1965, the 1970s oil crisis, and high-profile search operations such as the Maiden Flight Search and the aftermath of the 1972 Andes flight disaster. Early interactions involved groups connected to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the United States Coast Guard, and the National Park Service, while practitioners from American Red Cross, Civil Air Patrol, and Boy Scouts of America shaped initial standards. Through the 1980s and 1990s NASAR engaged with the National Transportation Safety Board, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and state-level agencies during responses to events like Hurricane Andrew and the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Post-2001 collaborations included partnerships with Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for mass-casualty and urban search and rescue integration.

Organization and Membership

NASAR's governance structure mirrors models used by organizations such as American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, Volunteer Firefighters Association, and professional associations like the National Sheriffs' Association. Its board has included members with backgrounds in the United States Park Police, the National Ski Patrol, and the Alaska State Troopers. Membership tiers parallel those of International Association of Fire Chiefs and National Emergency Number Association, with individual, team, and corporate categories that include agencies like National Weather Service, United States Geological Survey, and United States Forest Service. Regional chapters coordinate with state-level entities such as California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and Texas Division of Emergency Management and maintain liaisons with Canadian Red Cross, Ontario Provincial Police, and British Columbia Emergency Health Services.

Training and Certification

NASAR's curriculum draws on instructional frameworks from National Wildfire Coordinating Group, International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, and International Association of Canine Professionals. Courses cover principles used by National Incident Management System and Incident Command System practitioners, incorporating techniques taught by National Park Service trail crew leaders, National Ski Patrol instructors, and Civil Air Patrol aircrew. Certifications align with standards observed by American National Standards Institute and incorporate competencies similar to those in Emergency Medical Technician programs, Wilderness First Responder courses, and Swiftwater Rescue protocols. Trainers often have experience with agencies like United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, New York City Fire Department, and Los Angeles County Fire Department and employ doctrine referenced by FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force teams and Search and Rescue Task Forces in international deployments such as responses coordinated with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Operations and Programs

Operational programs include coordination models comparable to Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator roles used in Royal Canadian Mounted Police operations, canine programs modeled after United States Air Force and Australian Federal Police K9 units, and specialty teams paralleling Mountain Rescue Association and National Cave Rescue Commission capabilities. NASAR supports incident responses ranging from wilderness missions like those in the Appalachian Mountains and Sierra Nevada to urban operations in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Exercises are run in partnership with agencies like United States Army Corps of Engineers, National Guard, and State Police units, and have included joint drills with International Search and Rescue Advisory Group delegations, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and NGOs including Doctors Without Borders.

Research and Publications

NASAR publishes manuals and journals influenced by research from institutions like Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of California, Berkeley disaster research centers. Its technical bulletins reference findings from National Transportation Safety Board investigations, National Institute of Standards and Technology studies on incident response, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public health guidance. Publications cover topics studied by Wilderness Medical Society, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, and Journal of Search and Rescue, and they cite methodologies developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University for spatial analysis and geospatial support used with tools from Esri and United States Geological Survey data products.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams mirror those of humanitarian and emergency organizations such as American Red Cross and Salvation Army, combining membership dues, grants from FEMA Emergency Management Performance Grant programs, corporate sponsorships from firms like Garmin, Patagonia, and Black Diamond Equipment, and foundation support similar to Ford Foundation and Gates Foundation grants. Partnerships include formal memoranda with entities like National Park Service, United States Forest Service, and university research centers including University of Washington and Colorado State University, as well as collaborations with private-sector firms in telecommunications such as AT&T and Verizon and mapping partnerships with Google and Esri.

Category:Search and rescue organizations