CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Ore. — The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office will be making changes to its search-and-rescue operational structure following a comprehensive study and a look at best practices of search-and-rescue volunteer groups across Oregon.
According to a release sent to search-and-rescue volunteers, Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts took into account recent litigation, recommendations from a comprehensive study and his county council to make changes to the current SAR practices.
Clackamas County will be creating its own SAR team. Volunteers on that team will go through a background check and selection process.
"The research says forming this team is the right move for Clackamas County residents. Local response times and communication will improve with a single, dedicated team. Search and rescue in Clackamas County involves much more than Mt. Hood -- it's demanding and complex, across wilderness and urban environments. If a major disaster happens here, this will allow the quick deployment of SAR resources dedicated to Clackamas County," Sheriff Craig Roberts said in an e-mail.
Independent search and rescue teams, like Mountain Wave Search and Rescue, which was previously granted certification by and worked with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, will no longer be sponsored by the Sheriff's Office.
Mountain Wave, like other rescue teams, do not receive money from the Sheriff's Office, instead, they are sponsored to receive the necessary certification to become a SAR team. Mountain Wave has said it will no longer receive that sponsorship and will not be able to get the certification it needs to be a working SAR team and will not be able to fundraise.
The study, conducted by retired Undersheriff Matt Ellington, looked at best practices and models of SAR in Oregon and California. The recommendations that Clackamas County is moving forward with are:
- Bring SAR volunteers under a single, unified Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue Team, with specialized teams operating under that banner.
- Have all SAR volunteers go through a background check and a selection process.
- Have all volunteers train and abide by Sheriff's Office policies, while developing additional SAR-specific policies.
- Maintain records of all training to ensure compliance.
- Create a non-profit 501(c)(3) for Clackamas County Search & Rescue.
- Provide training and equipment.
According to The Oregonian, the changes being made by Clackamas County means the end of other SAR teams like the long-standing Portland Mountain Rescue in favor of one of his own.
However, not every SAR team received the memo. Mountain Wave Search and Rescue said it was told at a meeting in November and found the announcement on Clackamas County's website.
Mountain Wave said in a statement:
In addition to search and rescue, MW provides support to several counties and the state Office of Emergency Management. When road conditions are affected by severe inclement weather, our 4X4 team delivers blankets and supplies to shelters. They also transport essential employees for the county and local hospitals to work and return them home. The team also provided communication support and traffic control for recent wildfires. We support several nonprofit agencies such as the Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation providing and coordinating communications for large events relating to a line of duty death. We provide medical, communications, traffic control, and other support to the Tigard Balloon Festival, Oregon Trail Rally, Run with Paula, the Portland Marathon, and others.
We want to continue to provide these free volunteer services to the community as we have for the past 27 years.
The State Search and Rescue Coordinator with the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, Scott Lucas said in an e-email, "This reorganization is in line with state law that governs Search and Rescue in Oregon. It's considered best practices, as it follows the Sheriff's Search and Rescue Advisory Council guidelines. Clackamas County is a great partner in the Search and Rescue community, and this reorganization will only improve the county's ability to respond when called to help those who are in distress or imminent danger."
Sheriff Roberts was not immediately available for an interview.
The full release to volunteers can be seen below. It includes information about how to volunteer if you would like to:
RELATED: A Beginner's Guide to Portland Snow