SARA is a non-profit, all volunteer search and rescue team organization serving Southern Arizona and Pima County since 1958, without a charge for its services. SARA members are volunteers from all walks of life - donating their time, skills, and enthusiasm to provide a vital service to the public.
The SaddleBrooke Hiking Club Program Committee will host members of SARA, on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 @ 4 p.m. in the HOA #1 Activities Center.
This organization has provided past presentations to our hiking club guides in the area of first aid and an overview of the search and rescue services they provide. This program is an opportunity to understand and appreciate the critical services they provide.
SARA members receive extensive training in all aspects of search and rescue work including wilderness searching, cave rescues, high-angle and technical rescues, swift water rescues, mine rescues, and outdoor safety education. Members are also required to regularly re-certify both their medical qualifications and technical skills.
SARA typically responds to more than 100 search and rescue missions each year, representing more than 4,400 hours of volunteer time at no expense to taxpayers. Whether the mission is a technical cliff rescue or a multi-day search, day or night, whatever the weather, SARA members are on call.
Members provide their own personal equipment; however, group assets such as SARA vehicles, radios, ropes, and technical equipment are paid for by individual and corporate donations, as well as public funding.
SARA membership is open to anyone interested in helping to enhance public outdoor safety in Southern Arizona. Field qualified members must be in good physical condition, attend and pass first aid and rescue training classes, and provide their personal outdoor clothing and gear. All new members must complete medical/first aid training and SARA Basic search and rescue training prior to becoming field qualified. Complete training and medical certification can take up to ten months to complete.
Butch Farabee and David Lovelock have written a book about the history of rescue in Southern Arizona. The book contains lots of SARA History and is free and available on the SARA website: SARCI.org.