Snohomish County Volunteer Search & Rescue

09/01/2026

Curious if SAR is right for you? Our monthly information sessions are a great way to get your questions answered! Join us for our next info session!

Friday, September 4
7:00 PM
Taylor’s Landing: 5506 Old Machias Road, Snohomish, WA 98290

You will have the opportunity to meet current SAR members, learn about our organization, search and rescue, available training, participation requirements, and more!

Join us! We look forward to meeting you and answering your questions.

08/30/2026

🚨 Mission Recap: Heather Lake 🚨

Friday afternoon, SCVSAR responded to Heather Lake to assist an injured hiker.
One of our SAR EMTs was able to reach the patient, assess their injuries, and begin providing care while 30+ additional SCVSAR volunteers responded to assist with the evacuation.

One of our flight medics also hiked up to the patient and joined our team to assist with pain management and patient care, bringing additional medical expertise to the scene.

While teams were working on the trail, our Food Truck crew responded to fuel our volunteers after the long operation.

From medical care and patient evacuation to logistics and keeping responders fed, this mission took a lot of people working together behind the scenes and in the field.

08/27/2026

08/22/2026

Honoring and celebrating Terry Tibke for the last 50 years.

Our annual Tibke Awards picnic brought together SCVSAR volunteers and their families for an afternoon of recognition and celebration. Volunteers enjoyed great food, 4x4 side-by-side rides, SRT rigging demonstrations, and we recognized many outstanding contributions, including our Top Responders and Anniversary Awards. With over 370 volunteers, 125 missions and 10,000+ volunteer hours in the last 12 months, we had so many incredible volunteers to recognize.

This year's gathering marked the 49th anniversary of the Terry Tibke Award, which is one of SCVSAR's highest honors. Established in memory of a dedicated volunteer whose unwavering commitment set a lasting standard for service, this award recognizes members who exemplify that same selfless dedication. Terry passed away from cancer while still actively serving with SCVSAR, and his legacy continues to inspire the volunteers who carry our mission forward.

Congratulations to Katie Reed, this year's Tibke Award recipient. It was especially meaningful with three generations of the Tibke family joining us in celebration.

Thank you, SCVSAR, for showing up, for serving, and for celebrating one another. Here's to the next 50 years of honoring service, and those who live that spirit.

08/21/2026

Thank you to Skookum Brewery for supporting the Snohomish County Volunteer Search & Rescue K9 Team at their event last Sunday!

It was wonderful to see so many members of the community come out to support our K9 teams and learn more about the important work these dogs and their handlers do.

We are incredibly grateful to Skookum Brewery for hosting us, supporting our team, and helping advocate for our search and rescue dogs. Community partnerships like these help us continue our mission and remind our volunteers just how much support stands behind them.

Thank you, Skookum Brewery, and thank you to everyone who came out to support SCVSAR K9!

08/17/2026

Great reminders from our Everett Mountain Rescue Unit! Vesper Peak is an incredible area to explore, but it’s important to know what you’re getting into and be prepared for the conditions you may encounter. 🏔️🥾

Take a few minutes to read through these tips before your next mountain adventure!

🏔️ Know Before You Go

Vesper Peak is beautiful and a popular mountain objectives in our area but its popularity doesn’t mean it should be underestimated. So far in 2026, EMRU has responded to several missions on and around Vesper Peak.

With plenty of hiking season still ahead, we want to share some reminders of a few simple ways to prepare before heading into the mountains:

🗺️ Download your maps before you leave.
Cell service can be unreliable or nonexistent in the backcountry. Download an offline map of your route ahead of time, know how to use it, and carry a backup when possible. Don’t rely solely on having service to find your way.

🥾 Research more than just the mileage and elevation gain.
Two hikes with similar numbers can be completely different experiences. Before choosing a route, learn what the terrain actually involves. Does it require scrambling? Route finding? Travel across loose rock, snow, steep slopes, or exposed terrain? Read recent trip reports and know what conditions you may encounter.

🧭 Know the route before you’re on it.
Take a few minutes to look at major trail junctions, landmarks, creek crossings, basins, ridgelines, and other features you should encounter along the way. Periodically check your location rather than waiting until you’re unsure where you are.

⚠️ Know your limits and be willing to turn around.
Reaching terrain that feels beyond your experience or comfort level is a good reason to reassess. The mountain will still be there another day. Turning around before you’re committed to terrain you aren’t prepared to safely navigate is a good backcountry decision.

🎒 Prepare for more time out than you planned.
Carry the essentials to handle changing weather, an unexpected delay, an injury, or an unplanned night out. Let someone know where you’re going, your planned route, and when they should expect you back.

Vesper Peak is an incredible place, and we want people to get outside and enjoy it! A little research, preparation, and good decision-making before and during your trip can go a long way toward making sure you get home safely.

Stay safe out there🏔️

08/13/2026

A couple of great events are happening this weekend, come see some of our K9 team on Sunday August 16!

🐾 Canines for Community Fundraiser Weekend! 🐕🍻
Join us at Skookum Brewery for a weekend dedicated to honoring and supporting our local four-legged heroes and their handlers! We’re raising funds for our K-9 & Search and Rescue teams with two full days of fun, local vendors, great beer, and awesome community events.

Saturday, August 15 | Benefiting Snohomish County K-9 Foundation
- Dunk the Deputy! Take your best shot at sending local deputies into the splash zone for a good cause.
- Bite the Brewer! Watch the action unfold as our brewery crew steps up to test out the K-9 suit.
- Local vendors on-site all afternoon!

Sunday, August 16 | Benefiting Snohomish County Search & Rescue K-9s
- Live K-9 Demonstrations showcasing the incredible skill and training of our local Search & Rescue teams!
- Local vendors on-site all afternoon!

$1.00 from every pint sold all weekend long will be donated directly to support our K-9 and Search & Rescue heroes!

Bring the crew, grab a pint, shop local vendors, and help us give back to the brave dogs and handlers who keep our community safe. See you there! 🐕✨

08/12/2026

A huge THANK YOU to 5 Rights Brewing Company for their incredible support and for giving us a fantastic place to host our fundraiser on August 1!

From providing the venue for both the auction and Touch-a-Truck, to supporting marketing efforts and welcoming our group and community, your support played such a big part in making the day possible.

And the best part? The proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit programs and teams throughout our organization, including our K9 Team, Explorer Unit, Swiftwater Team, Rigging Team, Public Education and Outreach program, EMS program, and Training program.

We are so grateful to 5 Rights Brewing for supporting our mission, our volunteers, and the community we serve.

Thank you for helping us turn a fun day into something that will have a lasting impact!

08/09/2026

🎉 DONOR SPOTLIGHT & THANK YOU! 🎉

The success of our Brews for Rescues fundraiser at 5 Rights Brewing on August 1, 2026, would not have been possible without the generosity of our amazing community partners.

A heartfelt thank you to our silent auction donors:

Alaska Airlines
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
BarkBox
Beecher's Cheese
Big 5 Sporting Goods
Blue Roan Photography
Bob's Corn & Pumpkin Patch
Brad Gill, Burke Museum
Clearview Nursery
Clearwater Casino
Climate Pledge Arena & Seattle Kraken
Coastal Community Bank
Crystal Mountain Resort
Dweller's Drinkery
Elevated Sports
Elizabeth Humprey
Elizabeth Person Art
Everett Silvertips
Evergreen Speedway
Evergreen State Fair
Finn River Cidery
Five Iron Golf
Fount Leather
Free Country Apparel
Friends of SCVSAR
FRS Clipper Vacations
Hook & Cleaver
Josh's Taps & Caps
Lake Stevens Grocery Outlet
Leavenworth Adventure Park
Let's Roam
Lewis & Main
Luckie Farms
McMenemins
MOHAI
Morehouse Quality Woodworking
Munchenhaus
Museum of Flight
Museum of Illusions
North Sound Media
Nylabone
One Roof Foundation
Oriental Trading
PacaPride
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Propeller Airports
Ready Pup Go
Rebecca Kathryn Photography
Rick Steves
Rio Grande Games
Roofworks Northwest
Russell Family Charitable Fund
Seafair
Seattle Aquarium
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Symphony
Silvana Meats
Slidewaters – Chelan
Snohomish Flying
Stocker Farms
Sunnyside Nursery
The Cabbage Patch
Tuscano's
UW Huskies
Vertical World North
Village Theatre
Vista Clara Coffee
Wanderlust Tours
Woodland Park Zoo

These generous donations helped us raise vital funds to support search and rescue in Snohomish County and beyond.

Thank you to everyone who attended Brews for Rescues and visited our silent auction to bid on the incredible items and experiences donated by these community-minded businesses and organizations.

Thank you for helping us make Brews for Rescues a success!