Colorado Search and Rescue Association

A safer Colorado backcountry since 1973

CSAR's mission is to bring organizations together to find, rescue, and recover those in need in the Colorado backcountry. Composed of volunteers from our member teams, CSAR assists and empowers through public education, advocacy, coordination, collaboration, and continuous skill development.

Backcountry search and rescue (BSAR) teams in Colorado respond, at the request of law enforcement, to incidents on the eastern plains; in our urban and suburban areas; on the soaring peaks, cliff walls, and roaring rivers of the rocky mountains; and in the deserts and canyons of our western slope.

CSAR assists its member teams in several ways. Our state coordinators rotate in an on-call role to facilitate resource requests from any team that needs help, whether it be additional members from other teams, dog teams from other counties, helicopters, or cell phone forensics from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC). CSAR also provides education for volunteer responders, advocacy, collaboration tools and best practices for the BSAR community, and backcountry safety education for the public.