Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue

What Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue does

Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue (DCSAR / DCSOSAR) is a volunteer-based emergency services division of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, headquartered in Bend, Oregon, and operating across the county's 3,055 square miles serving roughly 200,000 residents and Central Oregon visitors. The unit provides free professional search and rescue assistance — including lost-person searches, wilderness medical response, swift water rescue, horse and mountain rescue, snowmobile operations, and K9 deployments — executing approximately 100+ missions per year with 120+ volunteers supervised by a Lieutenant (Special Services Coordinator), four Deputy Assistant SAR Coordinators, and an Office Manager. Services are activated via 911 dispatch through the Sheriff's on-call coordinator, with coordinated mutual aid to neighboring Oregon counties (Harney and Lane) and operational partnerships with AirLink Critical Care Transport, Life Flight, Bend Fire and Rescue, the US Forest Service, the Oregon Air National Guard, and the Central Oregon Avalanche Center.

The companion Deschutes County Search and Rescue Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises tax-deductible donations to fund equipment, training, and the volunteer Academy's 100+ hour curriculum covering life-saving skills, wilderness navigation, tracking, and first aid. There is no pricing model and no revenue from service recipients; funding flows entirely from community donations, brewery-sponsored fundraisers (10 Barrel Brewing 10+ years, Bevel Brewing), and corporate sponsorships (Subaru of Bend, Les Schwab, Pine Mountain Sports, Gear Fix, OVMA). The go-to-market motion is community-led, with volunteer recruiting events held at local venues such as Open Space, 10 Barrel East, and Embark, supported by organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube) and community safety education content. Customer segments are individuals needing rescue and the county government that hosts the unit; there are no paying customers, no expansion into commercial markets, and the organization's growth is driven by mission demand and volunteer capacity rather than commercial revenue mechanics.

Name

Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue

Legal name

Deschutes County Search and Rescue Foundation

Website

https://deschutessearchandrescue.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue is a volunteer division of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office providing free search and rescue services in Central Oregon, staffed by 120+ trained volunteers and funded by a companion 501(c)(3) foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety and Search and Rescue Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Response & Search-and-Rescue (SAR) (BPAGAAAA), Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB), Mountain Safety & Patrol Services (Avalanche Training, Rescue, Medical) (THAAAJAI)

Keywords

• Search and rescue services
• Wilderness emergency response
• Volunteer rescue operations
• Swift water rescue
• Mountain rescue operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The SAR Foundation is a 501C3 organization. Donations are tax deductible. The foundation raises funds to increase resources, provide equipment, and support training for the volunteer SAR unit. Fundraising events include brewery partnerships (10 Barrel, Bevel Brewing), Bingo nights, and community events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue provides free, professional search and rescue assistance to citizens of Deschutes County and visitors recreating in Central Oregon's backcountry. The unit conducts approximately 100+ missions annually using 120+ volunteers trained in wilderness navigation, tracking, medical assessment, and specialized rescue techniques including swift water, snowmobile, horse, and mountain rescue operations.

Product overview

Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue (DCSAR) operates as a volunteer-based emergency services organization providing professional search and rescue operations throughout Deschutes County, Oregon. The organization functions as a unified service model, combining volunteer training academy programs with operational response teams to conduct approximately 100+ missions annually. Core services include wilderness rescue, medical emergencies, lost persons searches, swift water rescue, snowmobile operations, and specialized response capabilities. The organization operates with over 120+ volunteers supervised by a Lieutenant (Special Services Coordinator), 4 Deputies (Assistant SAR Coordinators), and an Office Manager, conducting operations in Deschutes County with mutual aid to other counties as needed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Search and Rescue Operations Professional, high-quality search and rescue assistance to citizens of Deschutes County, visitors who recreate locally, and mutual aid to other counties as requested. Services include wilderness rescue, medical emergencies, lost persons searches, and disaster response.
• Volunteer Training Academy Over 100+ hours of training for volunteers covering life-saving skills, wilderness navigation, tracking, first aid, and specialized rescue techniques. One of the largest and most active SAR units in Oregon.
• Community Outreach and Education Public education on outdoor safety, the 10 Essentials for Survival, and community outreach programs to promote awareness of search and rescue capabilities.
• Specialized Response Teams Various specialized teams including swift water rescue, horse team, snowmobile operations, mountain rescue, and wilderness medical response capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ missions per year with 125+ volunteers

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AirLink Critical Care TransportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong operational partnership for air medical transport during rescues. SAR coordinates with AirLink for transporting injured parties to St. Charles Bend hospital.
• 10 Barrel Brewing CompanycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFor over 10 consecutive years, 10 Barrel Brewing has hosted fundraising events supporting SAR equipment purchases and training. Multiple locations (West and East) participate in annual support events.
• Bevel BrewingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted Bingo fundraising events where proceeds support the Deschutes County Search and Rescue Foundation.
• Central Oregon Avalanche CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative relationship for avalanche safety, forecasting, and assistance during avalanche incident response and investigation.
• United States Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSFS collaboration during SAR operations in federal forest lands and avalanche incident response.
• Bend Fire and RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency response coordination for patient handoff and transport to medical facilities during SAR operations.
• Subaru of BendminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting SAR Foundation through donations and community partnerships.
• Les SchwabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting SAR Foundation through community partnerships.
• Pine Mountain SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting SAR Foundation.
• Gear FixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting SAR Foundation.
• OVMA (Oregon Vehicle Management Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting SAR Foundation.
• Oregon Air National GuardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisted in rescue operations including helicopter evacuation (helivac) of injured individuals from remote locations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hood River County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue: Oregon county-level volunteer SAR unit operating under a sheriff's office with similar structure, mission profile, and mutual-aid relationships across the Columbia Gorge. Directly comparable in scale, funding model, and backcountry rescue scope.
• Portland Mountain Rescue: Volunteer, nonprofit-supported mountain rescue organization operating in Oregon with technical rescue, K9, and winter capabilities directly comparable to DCSAR's specialized teams.
• Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue: Urban-adjacent Oregon county sheriff's SAR unit with volunteer and reserve staffing comparable to DCSAR; serves as a mutual-aid counterpart and shares similar governance under a sheriff's office.
• Lane County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue: Neighboring Oregon county SAR unit that DCSAR has provided mutual aid to (e.g., South Sister operations), making it both a peer and an operational partner.
• Eugene Mountain Rescue: Oregon-based volunteer mountain rescue unit with overlapping backcountry mission profile and nonprofit fundraising model similar to the Deschutes County SAR Foundation.
• Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue: Oregon county sheriff's SAR unit with a similar volunteer-based model, including mountain rescue and swift water capabilities. Closest direct structural peer to DCSAR.

Others

• National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR): National membership and standards body for SAR organizations in the U.S. Provides training standards, certification, and policy advocacy relevant to volunteer SAR units like DCSAR.
• Mountain Rescue Association: Industry association for organized mountain rescue teams; sets operational standards and coordinates mutual aid across member units, including volunteer organizations like DCSAR.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SARFoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCla29JgEKYHdaMYm8LM8FEA/feed
• Facebookfacebook.com/searchandrescuefoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/sarfound
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deschutes-county-sheriffs-office-search-and-rescue

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue