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Search and Rescue

If you are having an emergency requiring Search and Rescue, please call 911. If you are reporting a party who is overdue, please call the non-emergency dispatch number, 406-582-2100.

In 2022, SAR volunteers went on 140 calls, including 36 searches, 89 rescues, and 9 mutual-aid calls. One hundred and fifty-seven volunteers dropped what they were doing to go help someone 1,473 times and spent over 14,846 hours on calls and training.

Please click here for a look at our 2022 Annual Report.

The Sheriff's Office is responsible for all search and rescue missions in the county. Trained Deputies act as incident commanders in support of highly skilled volunteer groups.

 
Our mission is to search for the lost and missing, rescue the injured and stranded, and bring them home safely and efficiently. When our community has a bad day, we are part of the solution. Though we are a volunteer organization, we provide a professional service to the residents and guests of Gallatin County.
 
Year
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2015
2016
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2018
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2021 
2022
SAR Events
9682102103132
103
101
108
115

134

140
Volunteers:
Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue is made up of volunteers ranging from construction workers, doctors, retired persons, college students, and real estate brokers, just to name a few. We have recognized experts in the field of technical climbing, technical radio operations, avalanches, extreme snowmobile operation, and search operations. If you are considering a challenging and rewarding way to serve your community through Search & Rescue, please see below for contact information. There are many ways to serve, from search and rescue operations to support and public outreach functions.
 
If you know a Search and Rescue volunteer, be sure and thank them for the hundreds of hours they volunteer each year in support of their community.
 
Interested in Joining Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue?

You can get involved with SAR through membership in one of our volunteer groups. If you live in the Gallatin Valley, we encourage most people to start by joining the Valley Section.  If you want to be part of Search and Rescue but don’t have the skills or can’t commit to making calls at all hours, Friends of GCSAR might be a good fit.

Each section takes on new members as needed. Becoming a full member is, at minimum, a one-year process. During that time, you'll be expected to attend 50% of trainings, which occur roughly twice a month. Operational members are expected to respond to at least 20% of all callouts. It's important to recognize that search and rescue is a major time commitment for everyone involved: members typically devote 15-20+ hours each month.

If you think you'd be a good addition to GCSSAR, please fill out the following questionnaire to be added to our applicant mailing list. Once you are on the list, we will keep you updated with upcoming recruitment events. 

GCSSAR Questionnaire

West Yellowstone Section –  Brock Kelly, Section Manager

Big Sky Section – Mark Bradford, Section Manager

Valley Section - Richard Gauron, Section Manager

Teams:
  • Heli Team: rapid response and technical rescue in mountain terrain. Gary Clutter, Team Manager.
  • Dive Team: underwater search and recovery. Jon Ogden, Team Manager.
  • SAR Comms: communications, mapping, and logistics. Curtis DeVault, Team Manager.
  • SAR Dogs: four-season wilderness SAR K9s. Bonnie Whitman, Team Manager.
  • SAR Drones: aerial search and grid mapping technology. Tyler Brant, Team Manager.
  • Friends of GCSSAR: Friends is a 501(c)3 organization that is committed to supporting the volunteers and mission of GCSSAR and to educating the public about backcountry safety. To donate please visit their site at http://friendsgcssar.org.

Another option is to volunteer to be found by the search dogs; this is a time commitment of a half or full day when it works for you. For more information and to sign up, see GCSSAR Training Volunteer Signup.

Thank you again for your interest. For any further questions, please contact Captain Scott Secor at 406-582-2100 or by email at scott.secor@gallatin.mt.gov.

Staff Contacts

NameTitle
Scott Secor

Search and Rescue Commander