Rockingham-Augusta Search & Rescue

03/09/2026

Our sincerest condolences go out to the family, friends and teammates from the folks of RASAR. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

12/15/2025

This is a post copied from Wintergreen Fire and Rescue. Our volunteers were part of the search team that got this injured hiker out. Many thanks to all involved!! Between hunting season and hikers, it's been a busy month! Please be sure if you're venturing out to have an emergency plan, make sure others know your route and approximate times for coming out, and have self emergency supplies! Stay safe!

"Today we were a part of an amazing team who rescued an injured hiker in Augusta County. The patient was able to get a "text to 911" message out. If if weren't for that message going through, the outcome of the call would have surely have been different.

This will be a long post. Apologies in advance.

Our crews were notified of this incident at 05:41. The Blue Ridge Parkway is closed and covered with snow and ice. This forced an indirect response route which nearly doubled our response time. Patient contact didn't occur until nearly 09:00. For the first time we can recall, our crews opted to build a fire and warm the patient prior to beginning the trek out. The wind-chills were sub-zero, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

Because the exact location wasn't known from the initial text, Nelson Dispatch notified the Virginia Department of Emergency Management for a Search and Rescue team. The SAR volunteers arrived throughout the morning and remained at the command post. Also requested was the Virginia Sate Police aviation unit from Chesterfield to winch the patient out of the forest. The helicopter arrived and tried a few times to get into position for a hoist, however strong wind gusts caused them to abort the mission.

The Virginia Army Guard dispatched a Blackhawk (HART) team, also from Chesterfield. They launched at approximately 13:00. By this point we were 8 hours into this call and feared that we could end up working in darkness, just as we began in darkness. I decision was made to send all of the VDEM SAR volunteers into the forest to join up with teams already working to extract the patient. The team was also provided terrific support by the Virginia Department of Forestry, who may or may not have used chainsaws to improve our egress path through the national forest. With 32 people deployed on the trail, patient extraction shifted into a higher gear. The team reached the Parkway just as the HART team was arriving.

The patient was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The total call duration exceeded 10 hours.

Apparatus assigned to this incident:

Wintergreen Squad 1
Wintergreen Response 61 - Command (Lt Moser)
Wintergreen Response 62
Wintergreen Response 171 - ATV- 1
Wintergreen Response 174 - ATV -2
Wintergreen Response 63
Wintergreen Rehab 60
Wintergreen Chief 61
Wintergreen Admin 1
Wintergreen Dispatch Center
NEMS Ambulance 93
NEMS Response 94
Montebello Fire Chief 70
Piney River Fire Salvage 23 - ATV
Nelson County Dispatch
Nelson County Emergency Management
Wilson Fire Department Support 196
Virginia Department of Forestry - Forestry 1
Augusta County Emergency Management
Augusta County Fire Battalion 11 / EMS 2
Virginia Department of Emergency Management - SAR team
United States Park Police - Ranger
United Sates Department of Interior - Road Maintenance Team"

10/28/2025

Happy first responder day to our team, and all of the other first responders out there who serve every day!!

09/17/2025

Reminder that the September monthly meeting has been moved to the 24th this month! Hope to see you all there!

08/18/2025

Boy have the search and rescue crews in Virginia been busy! Rockingham-Augusta Search & Rescue has been dispatched to not one, not two, but three searches just in the last two days! Make sure you plan for a safe trip and be sure that others know your plans before you go!

06/25/2025

Our team was dispatched for two searches just in the last couple of days. We're pleased to say that both had good outcomes! If you're going to hike and explore the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in the hot weather, please plan your route well, be sure others know your route, and drink plenty of water!

05/18/2025

Several of our members had the opportunity to set up at the Singers Glen Volunteer Rescue Squad open house today. We had lots of fun meeting and greeting with the community and sharing what we do! Special thank you to the rescue squad for having us!

04/15/2025

Some members participated in the Virginia Search and Rescue conference this past weekend. Lots of fantastic training and good friends all weekend!

03/01/2025

We wanted to say a huge thank you to Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative! This will go a long way towards training and equipping our team!

02/22/2025

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Virginia Beach Police Department today and the days to come.

12/23/2024

The same thing applies if you're going on an outdoor adventure! Should the unthinkable happen, make sure little ones know what to do in an emergency!

One of the lessons the Fire & Life Safety Educators cover with students in the schools is how and when to call 911. We have found, however, that more and more families are eliminating a landline from their homes which can make accessing emergency services (fire, rescue and law enforcement) more challenging, especially for a young child who is already dealing with a stressful situation.
If you do not have a landline, please teach your child how to unlock your cell phone and call 911, how to contact 911 if they cannot unlock a cell phone, which neighbors they can go to for help, and what their home address is. While operators can get fairly accurate locations from cell data there is no guarantee that it will be instantaneous and it is dependent on many factors. A few moments of preparation now can save minutes in an emergency, the minutes that may make the difference between life and death for you or someone you love.
If you are unsure how to call 911 without unlocking your phone you can contact your cell service provider or there are several videos available on YouTube depending on your model of phone.
Finally, please impress upon your children that 911 is only to be used for emergencies, that non-emergency calls can result in someone else waiting for needed assistance. If 911 is contacted by accident, teach them to stay on the line and let the operator know that there is no emergency at that location.
If you have any questions about this please feel free to contact us at 564-3175 and we would be happy to assist you.

12/19/2024

Last night we conducted our annual elections. Congratulations to all of the elected officers! Thank you to all our members!

Chief: Rick Gregory
Captain & Equipment Officer: Rhett Orndorff
Lieutenant & Training Officer: Steven Faught
Treasurer and EMS: Jen Jolin
Secretary: Brittany Abshire