C Whiteley

New Mexico Search and Rescue

In the State of New Mexico each year on average 126 search and rescue (SAR) incidents occur and 1300 civilian volunteer SAR first responders participate in one or more incidents. Collectively, all these volunteers constitute New Mexico Search and Rescue (NMSAR). Statewide coordination of NMSAR is provided by the SAR Resource Office under jurisdiction of the New Mexico State Police Division. NMSAR was legally created by the New Mexico Search and Rescue Act of 1978, which is considered by many to be one of the most efficient search and rescue acts in the United States today. NMSAR adopted Incident Command System in the 1990's and today maintains a roster of hundreds of trained and certified SAR incident management team members in addition to a roster of ~50 recognized organizations capable of providing one or more SAR field teams.