Application

Thank you for your interest in joining Routt County Search and Rescue. Search and rescue is a highly demanding volunteer experience, both in terms of training and mission response, and it requires a serious commitment. Active team members are on call 24/7 and are required to attend at least 16 training classes per year and respond to at least 25% of our missions. We average 65 missions per year.

We are an all-volunteer team consisting of approximately 40 team members. We recruit new team members on an as-needed basis. To be added to a list of prospective candidates for our next training class, please complete this Google Form. When we are recruiting new members, we will ask you to complete an application. Applications will be reviewed and select applicants will be invited to interview with members of our Board of Directors.

Applicants must be 21 years or older, have a valid CO drivers license, be a full-time Routt County resident, have an American Heart Association or Red Cross CPR certification, pass a background check, be available most Tuesday nights for training, and have a desire to drop everything and go help a stranger having a bad time in the middle of the mountains at a moments notice (and it will probably be off trail, at night, very cold, and raining or snowing). RCSAR utilizes motorized equipment on many of its missions, and while not required, experience operating ATVs and snowmobiles is beneficial.

New member training classes take approximately four months to complete. Training classes meet the first 3 Tuesdays of every month at 18:00 for 2 to 3 hours. We also hold full day training classes on several weekends throughout the year. In addition to the requirements above, probationary members are required to provide their own gear and pass several skill assessments prior to becoming active members.