Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue

Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue Team is committed to provide Western New York, and surrounding ar Please put "Public Safety Agency" in the subject line.

Attention Public Safety Agencies (police, fire, emergency management offices, etc.): NFSAR is available to offer self-sustained personnel, crew boss (DEC Searcher 1/team supervisor) support, K9 capability, and technical rescue operational support with little to no lead time. We may be requested at any time during any season by contacting the Erie County Sheriff's Office dispatchers. For further in

formation, contact us at this page or at [email protected]. About NFSAR:

Our team is composed of dedicated men and women committed to providing Western NY and surrounding areas with an organization of trained land search and rescue volunteers. Our objective and purpose is to:

• Provide trained land-based search and rescue personnel for lost or missing person incidents,
• Assist other agencies with technical rural or backcountry rescue and evacuation of injured or lost individuals from rough terrain or hazardous backcountry environments,
• Develop specially trained personnel to respond to K-9, Technical Rope and Winter/Cold Weather search and rescue operations,
• Disseminate information and conduct training programs for NFSAR team members and others concerning outdoor safety and search and rescue operations, and
• Associate with similar organizations in Western New York and the State of New York for the furtherance of the objectives of the Organization. Similar to other volunteer organizations, members bear the cost of equipment, uniforms and travel, as well as volunteer their time for meetings, training events and responding to team activations. While this is a volunteer organization, attendance at, and participation in, training events and searches are very important. Upon completion of the Basic SAR Academy, members are expected to meet specific baseline membership requirements, including:

• Attendance at no less than two (2) quarterly organizational meetings
• Attendance at no less than four (4) monthly team training events
• Being capable of meeting and maintaining the minimum NFSAR physical fitness readiness standard consisting of successfully hiking 2 miles on level terrain with a 25lb pack in 30 minutes or less (U.S. Forest Service Wildland Firefighter Work Capacity Test – Moderate)
• Remaining current with their required certifications, and
• Providing your response status for all team activation alerts. To apply for membership, you must be at least twenty-one (21) year of age and a citizen of the United States. For your application to be considered by the Membership Committee (at the appropriate time in this process), you will need to include copies of the following certifications:

• Proof of current Basic CPR certification
• Proof of current Basic First Aid certification (minimum requirement – higher level certs are always welcome )
• Certificate demonstrating completion of the free on-line FEMA training course ICS-100 (Introduction to Incident Command System), and
• Certificate demonstrating completion of the free on-line FEMA training course ICS-700 (National Incident Management System – An Introduction)

This weekend, members of our NFSAR team had the opportunity to participate in a fantastic water training exercise alongs...
06/01/2026

This weekend, members of our NFSAR team had the opportunity to participate in a fantastic water training exercise alongside multiple agencies. These collaborative training opportunities are invaluable, allowing us to strengthen teamwork, communication, and operational readiness while exposing our K9 teams to real-world scenarios they may encounter during a search. Thank you to Ellicott Creek Volunteer Fire Company, River Road Volunteer Fire Company, Seneca Hose Company #1 and Dark Skies Search Dogs!

Water-based training is an important part of search and rescue preparedness. It helps handlers, K9s, and support personnel build confidence and proficiency around boats, shorelines, and aquatic environments where searches may occur. The more exposure and experience our teams gain, the better prepared we are to serve our communities when called upon.

We were also excited to put our new NFSAR boat into action during training! Having this additional resource enhances our capabilities and provides even more opportunities for realistic training and mission support.

A special thank you to Tops Friendly Markets for generously donating snacks and refreshments for our teams. Your support helped keep everyone fueled throughout the day, and we truly appreciate your contribution to our volunteers and partnering agencies.

Thank you to all the agencies, handlers, K9s, and volunteers who participated. Training together makes us stronger, safer, and better prepared for whatever comes next. 🐕🐾🚤

Last week NFSAR had the opportunity to visit Girl Scout Troop #33450 to talk about wilderness safety and introduce the ...
05/28/2026

Last week NFSAR had the opportunity to visit Girl Scout Troop #33450 to talk about wilderness safety and introduce the scouts to a search K9!

NFSAR K9 handler Kathy taught about different kinds of search K9s and how they are trained. (She also brought K9 Hugo and K9 Quiz stickers which were a big hit!)

Crewboss Chris taught the Girl Scouts about carrying a whistle with them in the woods and how three blasts on a whistle signals "I need help!" They also learned how carrying a simple trash bag can help a lost person stay dry and warm until help arrives.

05/24/2026

NFSAR ran into some technical difficulties with our email system over the last two days or so.

If you sent a NFSAR member an email recently and did not get a timely reply, it may be wise to resend it. Our apologies for the inconvenience!

"One on the move... two on the move..." If you were around our (very swampy) training area yesterday, you would have he...
05/18/2026

"One on the move... two on the move..." If you were around our (very swampy) training area yesterday, you would have heard that a lot as the members of NFSAR 2026 Search and Rescue Academy completed their NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Basic Wildland Search Skills class in some very wet conditions.

NFSAR is proud to have a great working relationship with our local DEC Forest Rangers, and we appreciate the time they dedicated to this valuable training!

Did you know that NFSAR is a member agency of the Erie County Technical Rescue Team? Yesterday our tech rescue members ...
05/11/2026

Did you know that NFSAR is a member agency of the Erie County Technical Rescue Team? Yesterday our tech rescue members had an opportunity to train with other agencies on tower rescue skills. A special thank you goes out to Michael Fagan and Cody Marcheson for planning outstanding training evolutions!

On Friday, NFSAR was activated for a search for a missing vulnerable adult in Batavia, NY. Within minutes, ground searc...
05/02/2026

On Friday, NFSAR was activated for a search for a missing vulnerable adult in Batavia, NY. Within minutes, ground searchers and two K9 search teams were out the door prepared to assist with locating the man.

Thankfully the gentleman was located shortly before NFSAR personnel arrived at the staging area, and NFSAR was returned to service.

The trained members of the Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue Team are ready to respond 24/7. Any first response agency can request our services through Erie County Emergency Services Communications (MERS).

If your agency would like to learn more about the capabilities NFSAR can bring to a lost or missing person incident, email [email protected].

On 5/1/2026, the Batavia Police Department responded to the report of a missing vulnerable adult. Following an extensive search involving several partner agencies, the individual was found safe. This successful result was due to a team effort of

NFSAR is working to upgrade to an all-weather drone in order to increase our response capabilities. The Walmart Spark G...
05/02/2026

NFSAR is working to upgrade to an all-weather drone in order to increase our response capabilities. The Walmart Spark Good Grants that we received from Walmart #2614 (Springville) and Walmart #2355 (Williamsville) are a huge boost to that effort, and we are so thankful for their support!

If you would like to help us in this effort, you can make a donation through PayPal (linked below), Venmo (), or mail a check to
NFSAR
PO Box 82
Orchard Park, NY 14127

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=Y49E8SN5ENNAJ

Thank you so much, Walmart Springville - S Cascade Dr!
04/25/2026

Thank you so much, Walmart Springville - S Cascade Dr!

We’re proud to share that we’ve made a donation to Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue 💙
This incredible organization is 100% volunteer-based, dedicating their time and effort to helping locate and recover members of our community when they’re needed most.

Our contribution is just one small way to support the important work they do every day. Thank you to all the volunteers who continue to make a difference—you truly embody the spirit of community.

walmart.onelink.me/UIev/WalmartLocal

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out today to support our Spring Sniff Through fundraiser fo...
04/04/2026

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out today to support our Spring Sniff Through fundraiser for the Niagara Frontier Search & Rescue K9 Team! Everyone’s participation, energy, and enthusiasm made the day truly special—not just for us, but for our hardworking K9s and team as well.

A very special thank you to Lake Erie Italian Club for letting us host our fundraiser there and the amazing facility. In addition, a special thank you to The Noble Beast Dog Training for your support and for helping make today possible—we truly appreciate your partnership and generosity!

As a 100% volunteer-based organization, events like today help us continue to train, grow, and be ready when our community needs us most.

We were so impressed with how well each and every team performed—from building confidence, to working through challenges, to showing off some amazing nose work skills. It was incredible to watch the progress, teamwork, and connection between handlers and their dogs throughout the day. You should all be very proud!

We are so grateful for each and every one of you, and we can’t wait to see you at the next event! 🧡🐾🌷🐣

— Niagara Frontier Search & Rescue K9 Team

NFSAR provides a team of trained land searchers, search K9s, and technical rescue capability as a member of the Erie Cou...
03/25/2026

NFSAR provides a team of trained land searchers, search K9s, and technical rescue capability as a member of the Erie County Technical Rescue Team, available to any public safety entity in the eight counties of WNY.

Our services are free and available 24/7, in all seasons and all weather. Any law enforcement agency, fire department, or emergency management team that requires our services can reach us through Erie County Emergency Services Communications (MERS).

Specially trained dogs and their volunteer handlers at Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue are helping to find missing people throughout Western New York.

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Orchard Park, NY
14127

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