Washoe County Search and Rescue, Inc. is perhaps the largest of the volunteer units. Since 1965, this private, non-profit organization has gathered and trained for the sole purpose of serving the Washoe County Sheriff by providing the equipment and the manpower to conduct searches and rescues. While several of the units may be utilized in unison on any search mission, this unit is one of the to be called into service. The men and women of Washoe County Search and Rescue, Inc. specialize in ground searches, land navigation, urban searches, the use of snowshoes and avalanche probes, extended off-road searches and natural disasters. Members of Washoe County Search and Rescue, Inc. are on call twenty-four hours a day and are expected to respond immediately when called.
Members can expect to be called upon for numerous missions every year.
In 1971, a few visionary men saw a need for a specialized rescue team in Washoe County. Through much hard work and years of training and organization, the Hasty Team was formed. The Hasty Team is responsible for technical rescues that require the greatest level of skill, expertise and special equipment. Also included in this group are our search dogs and trainers. Because of the levels of difficulty and the amount of continued training required for each discipline, many members of the Hasty Team limit their activity to just one or two of the rescue applications mentioned.