JOIN THE SEARCH & RESCUE TEAM!

Thank you for your interest in joining the Contra Costa County Sheriff Search & Rescue Team.

The best way to find out about us is to attend one of our New Member Orientations.  Orientations are held the first Thursday of the month beginning in February and ending in June.  They start at 7:00 pm and last about 90 minutes.  No reservations are required.   

Orientations are held at:

Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) Building

50 Glacier Drive

Martinez, CA 94553

To join the team, you must successfully complete the entry level Academy that takes place once a year in September.  It covers 52 hours of instruction over 3 weeks.  Most classes are on Tuesday & Thursday evenings and Saturday days.  There is a class size limit to this Academy and we cannot accept all applicants into this program.  The Academy schedule will be issued at the Orientations. 

Applications

We begin accepting applications for the September academy each year in February.  The last date to apply for the current year academy is June 15th.

Our Applications are given out at the Orientations, but please download and fill out the New Member Interest Sheet: SARInterest.pdf. You can email it to applicants@contracostasar.org, mail it or drop it off at: Office of Emergency Services, 50 Glacier Drive, Martinez, CA, 94553  Attn: SAR.

To receive an application, you must show a valid California driver's license.

Things to know before joining 

• We are an all volunteer non-profit organization.  We do not get paid for our work.
• No experience is necessary.  We are looking for the right attitude and persons with a genuine desire to help others without thought of reward or recognition. 
• Our typical searches are often late at night and may last into the early morning hours.  You come home tired, muddy, and sweaty, but with pride knowing that you helped a person in need. 
• Each potential team member must first complete & pass our application process consisting of the application, a written statement of interest, an Oral Board Interview, submitting 3 character references, and a background check performed by the Office of the Sheriff. 
• We are non-sworn members of the Office of the Contra Costa Sheriff. Since we wear their uniform, we must be neat & clean with proper haircut and hair length. 
• Each Team Member provides their own gear except for radios and some safety gear. 
• We have a Youth Explorer Team for ages 14-18.  The Explorers receive the exact same training and testing as the Adults. There is no age limit for regular members.
• We are looking for a minimum average of 10 hours per month from our team members.  
• Our Team meets once a month on the second Saturday of each month for a Full Team Training.  It is very important that team members attend the majority of these monthlhy trainings.
• Our minimum Fitness Requirements will be discussed at the Orientations, but a potential team member must feel that they are capable of hiking 2.5 miles over varied terrain with a 20 lb. back pack in under 75 minutes.  At times our work is very physically demanding so potential applicants must evaluate their fitness level before applying. 

Thank you for your interest in Search & Rescue.  For additional information, email  applicants@contracostasar.org