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Applying to Larimer County Search and Rescue

We accept the names of people who are interested in joining Larimer County Search and Rescue throughout the year.

If you are interested in joining LCSAR, contact the Applicant Coordinator via e-mail at lcsar@larimercountysar.org

In the e-mail please include your

• Name
• Address
• City, State, Zip Code
• Home phone
• Work phone
• Cell phone
• E-mail address

When the Applicant Coordinator receives the e-mail, you will be contacted in order to answer any questions that you may have about the team.

Some answers to questions that you may have can be found on our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Application Process

The minimum age for applying to the team is 18 years old.

We only accept new members once a year. We interview applicants in January and our training program starts in March.

When our application process starts toward the end of the year, you will be invited to attend a mandatory Orientation meeting which will be held in January. Application forms are only handed out at the Orientation meeting.

LCSAR reviews the information provided by each applicant and conducts interviews to evaluate applicants on a number of criteria. Interviews are held in January. We are also required by the Sheriff's Office to conduct a background check and a driving record check on all of our applicants. After the interviews and the background check, approved candidates begin our Basic Search and Rescue Training (BASART) program.

The class size is limited, so we are not in a position to accept all applicants into the program.

Fees

The costs associated with our training program will be presented at the Orientation meeting. There is a non-refundable application fee and a non-refundable BASART fee.

Commitment

First of all, thank you for your interest in Larimer County Search and Rescue. Search and rescue work is a noble avocation.

Being a member of LCSAR may not be as glorified as you think. Please read on and see if this sounds interesting to you.

Mountain search and rescue is challenging yet fulfilling, rewarding but demanding, frequently a lot of work, and occasionally a lot of fun.

We are search and rescue professionals. We are trained and tested against rigorous search and rescue standards that have been established by the Search and Rescue community. We receive no wages for our efforts. If you're up to the task, and really didn't want to be wealthy anyway, read on...

The average Team member spends over 400 hours a year in training classes, field practices, Public Education programs, fund-raising events, and, about 5 times a month, there will be a search or rescue mission. Each member purchases between $ 2,500.00 and $ 3,000.00 worth of personal equipment depending on their field rating and what they might already own.

Our typical mission starts at night, lasts all night, and finishes early the next morning. We experience the joy of returning a lost loved one, the shock of traumatic injury, the tragedy of suicide, or our worst possible mission, the death of the person we were trying to help.

Your availability to leave what you are doing for a mission at any time, day or night, weekend or weekday, is critical to your success and contribution to the team.

Search and Rescue (SAR) Dog Training

If you are interested in training a dog for search and rescue work, please let us know. Training a SAR Dog is something that you can start on immediately.

Basic Search and Rescue Training (BASART) Program

Our Basic Search and Rescue Training (BASART) program is held in the Spring typically from March to the first part of June. There are approximately 28 classroom and field sessions. All classes and field sessions are mandatory. Meetings are on Wednesday evenings and Saturdays and/or Sundays. BASART is composed of individual class and field sessions where applicants are exposed to basic Search and Rescue techniques in the classroom and then these techniques are applied in field training sessions. Classes include knot tying, basic rope and rescue rigging, search tactics and techniques, search and rescue dogs, map and compass, and individual and team equipment just to name a few. BASART participants will be provided a list of required and recommended gear necessary for field work. We will teach you all you need to know about Search and Rescue.

What do I do while I am waiting for the Application process to start? You ask.

Physical Fitness

Get physically fit. Search and Rescue work is physically demanding. You should be able to hike four miles over varied terrain with a minimum of 1,000 feet of elevation gain carrying a 25 pound pack and complete this in 3 hours. A physical fitness test may be administered during the BASART training period.

Medical Training

Get some medical training. We recommend you take a medical course that has a wilderness emphasis, such as Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, or Wilderness EMT. In lieu of that take a First Responder or EMT course. Even if you are not accepted on the team, the skills you learn and the knowledge you gain will be invaluable.

BASART Training Schedule

Below is a generic BASART training schedule to give you an idea of the time commitment for becoming a new member. This is just the beginning of your training. We train all year round in various search and rescue disciplines.

BASART Generic Schedule

On-going Training and Other Team Activities

When BASART is completed, it is not the end of SAR training. We train throughout the year in various SAR disciplines.

Team members are also encouraged to get involved in the other activities that we do such as teaching public education classes, fund-raising, administrative duties, and of course search and rescue missions.

General Team Schedule