Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team

What Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team does

The Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team (HRT) is the air-rescue arm of Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue (SCVSAR), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered as a public charity with the Washington Secretary of State (EIN 91-0848877). HRT serves as the official volunteer rescue resource for the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office and operates as a regional SAR asset supporting other Washington state SAR organizations across 13 counties. The team fields 31 members (26 volunteers and 5 sheriff's deputies) organized into pilots, crew chiefs, rescue technicians/EMTs, flight medics/paramedics, and ground support personnel, with one physician holding DiMM, FAWM, and WP-C certifications. HRT operates 24/7/365, conducts more than 80 missions per year, and provides Advanced Life Support on every mission.

HRT's core technology asset is SnoHawk 10, a heavily modified Bell UH-1H helicopter outfitted with an 1800 shaft horsepower turbine engine, upgraded tail rotor system, and mission equipment including a 600-pound external hoist with 250 feet of steel cable, short haul and sling load capability, the Airborne Tactical Extraction Platform (AirTEP) for high-rise rescue, two 250-gallon FAST fire suppression buckets, FLIR thermal imaging, Night Vision Goggles, and a video downlink system that transmits live video to command centers. Each mission deploys a crew of five: two pilots, one crew chief/hoist operator, one rescue technician/EMT, and one flight medic/paramedic. Three helicopters are kept on standby, with operating cost of approximately $1,200 per flight hour covering maintenance, fuel, parts, personnel, and aircraft insurance.

HRT's business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. Rescues are provided at no charge; 100% of earmarked donations flow to helicopter rescue equipment (litters, rescue vests, avalanche bags, crampons, ice axes, personal protective equipment). The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office funds aircraft fuel and maintenance after a prior federal grant lapsed, Sky Valley Fire District supplies all medical supplies in kind, and supplementary income is generated via the 'Support the Last Resort' photo book on Blurb with net proceeds going to the team. Marketing is community-led through Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, the GivingFuel donation portal, and the 'The Rescue' newsletter, with operations delivered through 911 dispatch, sheriff's office requests, and inter-agency support across Washington.

Name

Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team

Legal name

Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue

Website

https://helicopterrescue.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerial Search and Rescue Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Ambulance Services (62191)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Medical Transport (Helicopter/Fixed-Wing) (HLAFANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB), Disaster Response, Rescue & Tactical EMS (DMAT/USAR/SWAT/HAZMAT Medical) (HLAFANAH), Helicopter Medical Passenger Transport (Non-Emergency) (TLAFACAI)

Keywords

• Helicopter search rescue
• Wilderness emergency response
• Aerial firefighting services
• Medical air evacuation
• Volunteer rescue services

Headquarters

HQ city

Snohomish

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: 100% of donations earmarked for HRT go towards helicopter rescue equipment such as litters, rescue vests, avalanche bags, crampons, ice axes, and personal protective equipment for volunteer members.
2. Grants: Grant funding used to fund rescue and personal protection equipment. Previously funded by federal grants which covered yearly fuel, maintenance, and rescue gear costs.
3. County Funding (Aircraft Operations): Snohomish County Sheriff's Office funds aircraft fuel and maintenance. Previously covered by federal grant, county stepped in when federal grant disappeared.
4. Medical Supplies (In-kind): Sky Valley Fire District provides all medical supplies for Flight Medics.
5. Photo Book Sales: Photographer Jason Fortenbacher's photo book 'Support the Last Resort' - net proceeds go directly to the team.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HRT provides free, 24/7/365 helicopter-based search, rescue, transport, aerial firefighting, and command-and-control services throughout Washington state using three helicopters (primary asset SnoHawk 10). Each mission deploys a five-person crew (two pilots, a crew chief/hoist operator, a rescue technician/EMT, and a flight medic/paramedic) delivering Advanced Life Support, FLIR-based search, hoist/short-haul extraction, mass casualty transport, fire suppression, and live video downlink to incident commanders.

Product overview

The Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team (HRT) provides helicopter-based search and rescue services throughout Washington state. The primary asset is SnoHawk 10, a heavily modified Bell UH-1H helicopter designed for high altitude rescue operations in the Cascade Mountains. The team offers a comprehensive suite of rescue services including search operations using thermal imaging (FLIR), hoist rescue and short-haul extraction, medical transport using a 3-litter system or AirTEP device, fire suppression using 250-gallon FAST buckets, and command and control with video downlink capabilities. The organization operates 3 helicopters on standby, conducting over 80 missions per year across 13 Washington counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SnoHawk 10: Heavily modified Bell UH-1H helicopter designed for high altitude rescue work in the Cascade Mountains. Equipped with 1800 shaft horsepower turbine engine, upgraded tail rotor system, external rescue hoist (600 lbs capacity, 250 feet steel cable), short haul and sling load capability, and Airborne Tactical Extraction Platform.

Products and services

• SnoHawk 10 Helicopter Search and Rescue Service
• Aerial Fire Suppression Service
• Mass Casualty Patient Transport Service
• Aerial Command and Control / Video Downlink Service
• "Support the Last Resort" Photo Book

Quantifiable outcome

• Responds to more than 80 missions per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Snohomish County Sheriff's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRT serves as the official volunteer rescue resource for the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. SCVSAR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered with the Washington Secretary of State. The Sheriff's Office funds aircraft fuel and maintenance, having stepped in when federal grant funding disappeared.
• Sky Valley Fire DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides all medical supplies for the Flight Medics. This in-kind support ensures the team maintains Advanced Life Support capability on every mission.
• Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue (SCVSAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCVSAR is the parent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. HRT is part of SCVSAR, which is registered as a public charity with the Washington Secretary of State. EIN: 91-0848877.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Air Methods Corporation: Largest U.S. air medical transport operator running hundreds of helicopter bases nationwide. Comparable in delivering ALS-equipped helicopter transport, but operates as a commercial, billed service versus HRT's volunteer model.
• Bristow Group: Global helicopter services operator providing SAR, air medical, and government aviation support. Comparable in helicopter-based emergency services portfolio; operates at a much larger industrial scale.
• REACH Air Medical Services: Air ambulance operator providing helicopter ALS transport and scene response across the western U.S. Comparable in delivering helicopter-based ALS at incident scenes; commercial billing model contrasts with HRT's donation model.
• PHI Aviation: Provides air medical, search-and-rescue, and helicopter services globally. Comparable in air ambulance / SAR mission execution; differs in operating commercially and serving offshore/industrial segments.
• CAL FIRE Aviation: State-operated aerial firefighting fleet performing retardant drops, bucket work, and tactical rescue. Comparable in aerial fire suppression bucket operations; differs as a state agency versus volunteer nonprofit.

Others

• Mountain Rescue Association: National association coordinating volunteer ground-based search-and-rescue teams across the U.S. Ecosystem peer — operates adjacent to HRT's ground SAR partners and shares volunteer/nonprofit structure and SAR mission alignment.

Regional players

• Chelan County Sheriff's Office Helicopter Rescue: Another Washington-state helicopter rescue unit operating in the Cascade range and Wenatchee area. Directly comparable mission profile (wilderness hoist, ALS, fire support) within an adjacent county footprint.
• King County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit: Operates a sheriff's office helicopter unit providing aerial SAR, medevac, and law-enforcement support in King County, WA. Closest regional helicopter rescue peer to HRT, with overlapping territory in the greater Puget Sound region.

Emerging players

• Civil Air Patrol: U.S. Air Force Auxiliary volunteer aviation organization performing inland SAR, disaster relief, and aerial reconnaissance. Comparable in volunteer-led aerial SAR mission profile, though typically fixed-wing rather than helicopter.

Direct peers

• Travis County STAR Flight: Texas-based combined helicopter rescue and air-ambulance program delivering hoist rescue, ALS transport, and tactical SAR. Direct operational peer to HRT in mission scope and crew configuration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/snohomishhrt
• Facebookfacebook.com/SnohomishHRT
• Instagraminstagram.com/snocohrt
• Xx.com/SnoCo_HRT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/snohomish-county-helicopter-rescue-team

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team