DCSAR was formed in September of 1998 and had its first meeting in October of that year. El Paso County Search and Rescue, south of Douglas County, loaned the team equipment, provided instruction, and allowed the team to use its facility for training.
Members went through intensive training that fall and the team was declared operational in December. The team's first mission, for two missing dirt bike riders on Rampart Range, was on February 10, 1999. The missing bikers were located cold, but alive, in near blizzard conditions by team members.
Since then, DCSAR has served the Douglas County, Greater Denver, and Colorado with distinction, averaging over one-hundred missions per year.
Mountain Rescue Association
DCSAR has been accredited by the Mountain Rescue Association since 2005
and is a member of the Rocky Mountain Region of the Mountain Rescue
Association. Teams in the Rocky Mountain Region are among the most skilled
SAR teams in the nation, as they must test and be evaluated by their
peer teams every five years in the following five discliplines:
- Seach
- High Angle Technical Rescue
- Scree Field Evacuation
- Winter Rescue
- Avalanche Operations
These membership requirements are the most demanding of all MRA regions. Learn more about the Mountain Rescue Association, or the Rocky Mountain Region
Colorado Search and Rescue Board
DCSAR is very active in Colorado state-wide SAR activities. Some of
our senior members serve as state coordinators and have helped shape
search and rescue related legislation and policies. The Colorado Search
and Rescue Board is a Colorado not-for-profit corporation that provides
a point of contact for search and rescue matters on a state level.
Douglas County Fire Chief's Association
Formed in the mid-1980s and incorporated by the State of Colorado in
1993, the Douglas County Fire Chiefs Association (DCFCA) is comprised
of the Fire and Rescue Departments located in Douglas County and portions
of Arapahoe County. In addition, membership is also held by other public
safety agencies, including law enforcement, EMS, and emergency management.
Board of Directors
- President - Bruce Fosdick
- Vice-President - David Farrar
- Secretary - Bill Clendenning
- Treasurer - Mike McDonald
- Director-at-large - Jesse Adamy
- Field Director - Scott Walker
- Sheriff's Liaison - Lt. Larry Noble
Committees
- Budget and Finance - Bruce Fosdick
- Communications - Andy Koncsik
- Equipment - Bill Clendenning
- Medical - Greg Epp
- PSAR (preventative search and rescue)- Bill Clendenning
- Policies and Standards - Bruce Fosdick
- Training - Bill Clendenning
- Vehicle - Scott Walker
