Contra Costa Search and Rescue Team

05/22/2026

If you missed May's orientation — June 4th at 7 pm is your next shot. After that, we're out until fall.

Contra Costa SAR is an all-volunteer unit under the direction of Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff’s Emergency Services Division. We respond to real calls: missing persons, technical rescues, multi-agency operations. The training is rigorous. The time commitment is real. The team is the kind that's hard to find anywhere else.

In Contra Costa County alone, 12 search and rescue missions were conducted in 2025.

Orientation is required before receiving an application. Come see what the work looks like. Ask hard questions. Membership is open to ages 14 and up. You don't need a resume full of backcountry experience — you just need to show up ready to learn and genuinely want to help. Fill out an interest form to attend.

👉 https://www.contracostasar.org/join-the-team

05/21/2026

Meet some of the team members from the Contra Costa Search & Rescue Team. Part 2.

05/20/2026

Meet some of the team members from the Contra Costa Search & Rescue Team. Part 1…

05/20/2026

Resource Spotlight - Metal Detectors

Not the typical type of search and rescue effort you see in the news.

Contra Costa SAR's Metal Detector Resource is a specialized group of volunteers who support evidence searches across Contra Costa County — and beyond. When law enforcement needs help locating metal objects in the field — shell casings, weapons, phones, discarded evidence — this is the team they call. The kind of work where missing one small item can mean the difference in an investigation.

They train monthly, in varied terrain and conditions — urban areas, open space, day and night — so when they're called out, the work is already second nature. They support the Sheriff's Office and partner law enforcement agencies whenever metal detection is the right tool for the job.

Earlier this month, two team members, Linda and Tori, attended a Crime Scene Metal Detector Operations class hosted by the Roseville Police Department — two days of specialized training focused on exactly this kind of work, bringing new skills back to the team.

It’s National SAR Week - May 16 - May 22.

05/05/2026

Most search and rescue operations in Contra Costa County happen closer to home than people expect. The trails behind your neighborhood. Open space you pass on 24 and 680. The parks you’ve taken your kids to. You don’t have to be far from civilization to get lost.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

We’re Contra Costa County SAR, a volunteer unit of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. We search for missing people. We search for evidence at crime scenes. We respond during disasters. When a callout comes in, we respond.

We’re recruiting. The first step is orientation.
📅 Thursday, May 7
🕖 7:00 PM

The orientation is required before you can apply. It’s where you meet team members, learn about the SAR Academy and application process, and decide if this is actually for you. We’re not selling it — we’re giving you enough information to make a real decision.

Our volunteers come from tech, healthcare, education, construction, and a lot of places that have nothing to do with law enforcement. The SAR Cadets are high school students and a significant portion of team members are retired — people who finished one chapter and chose to spend the next one doing something that matters. They all bring something different to the team. What carries across every background: you have a positive attitude, you show up, and you support the team.

Come Thursday.

👉 Fill out the interest form to attend: https://www.contracostasar.org/join-the-team

03/23/2026

Yesterday afternoon, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team assisted East Bay Regional Park District with a search for an at-risk individual in Las Trampas Regional Wilderness.

Approximately 60 searchers responded, covering steep, brushy terrain with limited communications. Teams conducted coordinated ground searches, trail interviews, and utilized drone support and canine teams.

The individual was located in the evening in a difficult-to-access area. With support from park district fire and medical personnel, they were safely extracted and transported for further care.

Thank you to all agencies and personnel who assisted.

CARDA - California Rescue Dog Association

03/16/2026

Thank you to the city of Lafayette, especially the businesses in Lafayette who actively participated in the training and provided the field teams with information regarding the missing subjects for our mock search.

For those interested in volunteering with us, our next Orientation is on Thursday, April 2nd, at 7:00 pm. To attend, please fill out an interest form online: https://www.contracostasar.org/join-the-team

03/09/2026

01/26/2026

Today 10 Contra Costa SAR members are assisting Marin County in a mutual search for a missing at-risk 73-year-old woman.

12/02/2025

It’s Giving Tuesday, and we’re grateful for our community’s support.

Contra Costa County Sheriff's Search & Rescue Team is a 100% volunteer team, ready 24/7 to respond when someone goes missing or our community need help. Our members train year-round, deploy across the county and state, and stand ready to assist whenever the call comes.

Your support helps ensure we have the tools, training, and resources to respond safely and effectively.

If you’re able, please consider supporting our mission today.

🔗 Donate: https://www.contracostasar.org/support-our-work

Thank you for being part of our community.

11/21/2025

Contra Costa SAR sent ten team members today to assist Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office with this ongoing search.

*UPDATE 11/21/25*

We are into day 4 of the search efforts for 73-year-old Jeanne Burke. This morning, approximately 90 Search and Rescue team members from Santa Cruz County, CAL OES, Santa Clara County, Monterey County, Alameda County, Marin County, San Mateo County, Contra Costa County, and Bamru (Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit) Civil Air Patrol, Cal SAR, California Rescue Dog Association, American Red Cross, Fresno County and CARDA are currently out searching.

We are continuing to focus on Smith Grade Road, Moore Ranch Road, and the surrounding areas. We continue to ask residents to please review their properties, including any cameras, search for outbuildings, and inspect any sheds.

We want to thank the community for their continued support in spreading the word, providing information, and sharing our social media posts. We will do our best to provide updates as they become available.

We want to extend our sincere gratitude to all the agencies that have assisted us in this search effort and continue to do so.