BUSAR

10/15/2026

Behind every response are hours of preparation, training, and teamwork.

During Q3, Team BUSAR contributed 328 mission hours, 318 pre-deployment hours, and 162 training hours supporting search and rescue in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Incidents occurred on 58% of pre-deployment days, underscoring the value of having rescuers positioned in the park and ready to help.

We also provided public safety education to 34 people and donated $3,713 in supplies and training to the National Park Service.

Thank you to our PSAR brothers and sisters who are on the front lines every day, to our supporters and our agency partners who make this work possible.

Support the mission through the link in our bio.

09/29/2026

We are incredibly grateful to our friends at Peaceful Side Social for their continued support of BUSAR and our mission.

Their recent Sip. Savor. Support. campaign raised an incredible $2,802.66 for our team, but their commitment to BUSAR goes far beyond a single donation. Peaceful Side Social has supported our mission for years, helping make it possible for our team members to train, equip, and respond when someone needs help in the backcountry.

Functioning much like a reserve unit, BUSAR provides trained rescuers and specialized backcountry search and rescue capabilities to Great Smoky Mountains National Park at no cost. Support like this directly helps put rescuers in the field, provides the equipment and training necessary to operate safely and effectively, and keeps our team ready when the call comes.

Simply put, these dollars go directly toward our mission of assisting and supporting search and rescue operations in the Smokies.

To everyone at Peaceful Side Social—and to every person who ate a meal, rounded up a check, or participated in Sip. Savor. Support.

THANK YOU!!

Your support has a real impact far beyond the restaurant. It follows our rescuers into the mountains and helps us bring people home.

We are proud to have Peaceful Side Social standing behind Team BUSAR.

09/28/2026

A BUSAR member has recently thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. Jeff “Rocky Top” Wadley summited Mount Katahdin on September 12, becoming the 476th thru-hiker to complete the trail this year.

Wadley is one of the charter members of BUSAR and serves as a Lost Person Behavior instructor and our Lead Missing Person Investigator. During his trek, “Rocky Top” also served as the AT Chaplain, appointed by the United Methodist Church to minister to hikers along the trail.

Highlights for him included being a part of the search for a missing hiker on Blood Mountain, hiking through the 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine, being a part of a large trail family (tramily) who all summited together, and eating all the calories he wanted.

Rocky Top is not yet finished, saving the Smokies for his official completion since they are where he serves in BUSAR and will be welcomed home by his team members.

08/26/2026

08/06/2026

This reel is dedicated to the unsung heroes of Great Smoky Mountains National Park: the Permanent, Seasonal, and Volunteer Preventive Search and Rescue (PSAR) Rangers.

Search and rescue is like a meal. It takes many ingredients to make it happen. But the meat and potatoes are the PSAR Rangers who patrol the park every day, ready to respond the moment someone needs help.

Working alongside Law Enforcement Rangers, park staff, and partner agencies, including Team BUSAR, the past couple of weeks have brought multiple rescues and back-to-back night operations.

While most people were asleep, these PSAR Rangers, after already working a full shift, were still hiking the trails, carrying out rescues into the early hours of the morning.

To our PSAR brothers and sisters: thank you for your dedication, professionalism, and sacrifice. Your work often goes unseen, but it changes lives.

Drop a ❤️ and give PSAR a shout-out in the comments. They deserve to hear it.

07/27/2026

Quarter 2 Impact Report

Every hour invested in missions, pre-deployment, training, and education strengthens our ability to support visitors and assist the National Park Service when we're needed most.

This quarter reflects the dedication of our team, our foundation, our partners, and everyone who supports this mission. Thank you for helping make it possible.

The numbers tell part of the story. Behind every hour is a team preparing before they're needed.

Thank you for your continued support.

07/23/2026

Quarter 2 Impact Report

The National Park Service's Preventive Search and Rescue (PSAR) Rangers are the primary frontline resource assisting visitors throughout Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

BUSAR serves alongside them as a reserve search and rescue team, providing trained personnel to support missions, strengthen operational readiness through pre-deployment, and expand the park's response capability.

During the second quarter of 2026, our members contributed 90.5 mission hours, 161 pre-deployment hours, 312 training hours, donated $2,423 in supplies and training, and helped educate 1,029 people through community outreach and preparedness efforts.

These accomplishments are reflected in our Q2 Impact Report and none of it would be possible without the support of our community.

Thank you to our members, supporters, sponsors, PSAR Rangers, and partner agencies for making this mission possible.

The full Q2 Impact Report is available at teambusar.org/donate

07/17/2026

Strong teams are built through training.

This week BUSAR had the opportunity to train alongside Smokies PSAR Rangers, the Smokies Technical Rescue Team, and Townsend Volunteer Fire Department on the Norwegian reeve highline system for swiftwater rescue. If you'd like to learn more about the system, I've posted a video link in the comments.

These are the skills you hope you never have to use, but when the call comes, the preparation matters. Every evolution builds stronger partnerships, sharper skills, and a safer response for the people who need us most.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to train, teach, and learn together. We all leave better than we arrived.

07/02/2026

🇺🇸 4th of July Weekend Safety Reminder

The most important piece of gear you carry this weekend isn't your boots. It's your water.

If you're heading into the Smokies, expect temperatures in the 90s with high humidity. Even experienced hikers can become dehydrated and overheated faster than they realize.

Before you hit the trail:
- Hydrate before your trip
- Carry more water than you think you'll need and a way to disinfect collected water
- Bring electrolytes, not just water.
- Start early and avoid the hottest part of the afternoon.
- Take plenty of breaks in the shade.
- Keep an eye on children, older adults, and anyone who starts slowing down.
- Traffic will be heavy, so carry water in your vehicle

Watch for the early signs of heat illness:
• Heavy sweating
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Muscle cramps

If someone becomes confused, stops sweating, or loses consciousness, call 911 immediately and cool them off by getting them in the shade, immersing them or wetting their clothes, and fanning them. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are serious medical emergencies.

The mountains will still be there tomorrow. Make smart decisions so your holiday is remembered for the right reasons.

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

06/09/2026

This weekend, two Team BUSAR members laced up their boots, shouldered their packs, and took part in a 5K ruck benefiting Isaiah 117 House in Blount County.

When children are removed from unsafe situations, they often enter foster care with little more than the clothes they're wearing. Isaiah 117 House provides a safe, welcoming place where children can receive clean clothes, meals, comfort, and care while awaiting placement with a foster family. Their mission is to reduce trauma for children, support child welfare workers, and ease the transition for foster families.

We're proud to support organizations that serve some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Service takes many forms. Sometimes it's a search mission. Sometimes it's a training exercise. And sometimes it's simply putting one foot in front of the other for a cause that matters.

Thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, donated, and helped make the event a success.