About WASAR

Search and Rescue in Washington State

Search and Rescue in Washington State is governed by Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 38.52.

Contained within this law are sections defining search and rescue, assigning responsibilities for SAR, establishment of the position of the state Coordinator for SAR Operations, and the liability protection and compensation program under which volunteers in our state are protected.

Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 118-04 establishes the procedures and qualifications of emergency workers (registered volunteers) and explains how the program is administered.

Number of SAR Missions in WA State 2010-2017

County	Total 2010-2018	2010 Total	2011 Total	2012 Total	2013 Total	2014 Total	2015 Total	2016 Total	2017 Total	2018 Total
Adams	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
Asotin	19	1	1	3	2	2	0	4	2	4
Benton	171	15	22	15	21	21	20	25	17	15
Chelan	335	26	49	24	44	28	38	49	38	39
Clallam	136	9	9	15	5	13	17	20	27	21
Clark	142	16	15	13	18	16	9	15	17	23
Columbia	16	2	3	1	0	0	4	2	2	2
Cowlitz	302	37	51	35	35	37	24	26	30	27
Douglas	11	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	3	5
Ferry	54	3	8	6	7	11	1	7	7	4
Franklin	56	7	4	0	2	4	9	8	12	10
Garfield	19	1	2	3	1	1	2	5	2	2
Grant	65	3	8	11	11	10	6	2	7	7
Grays Harbor	75	4	10	10	3	7	8	14	9	10
Island	43	6	7	3	7	4	4	3	4	5
Jefferson	112	6	3	10	11	10	17	15	25	15
King	1401	120	125	108	127	120	177	179	233	212
Kitsap	158	13	13	20	21	18	15	20	23	15
Kittatas	227	25	17	18	26	34	25	20	25	37
Klickitat	126	7	16	18	9	19	15	16	10	16
Lewis	113	10	10	20	16	11	9	11	13	13
Lincoln	4	1	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	0
Mason	170	21	16	12	18	18	17	27	20	21
Okanogan	253	17	21	24	18	40	23	39	33	38
Pacific	116	23	17	17	10	11	6	15	6	11
Pend Oreille	71	7	6	10	5	8	10	7	8	10
Pierce	456	36	38	43	53	47	62	59	66	52
San Juan	59	2	3	5	6	17	11	5	3	7
Skagit	399	50	32	44	57	43	38	37	47	51
Skamania	353	38	38	32	48	38	35	44	42	38
Snohomish	910	85	89	89	85	82	110	103	137	130
Spokane	106	14	16	8	10	10	9	10	19	10
Stevens	37	1	6	6	7	1	4	2	6	4
Thurston	108	15	13	15	12	7	14	10	15	7
Wahkiakum	17	2	0	1	2	3	1	1	2	5
Walla Walla	30	2	4	2	3	6	3	4	1	5
Whatcom	345	29	34	24	40	37	29	45	53	54
Whitman	12	0	3	2	1	1	1	0	3	1
Yakima	341	26	38	40	36	38	37	44	40	42
Totals	7370	680	748	708	777	775	811	896	1007	968
% Change from PY			9.1%	-5.6%	8.9%	-0.3%	4.4%	9.5%	11.0%	-4.0%

A mission is included in the above totals if a state mission number is issued. Some missions are resolved prior to teams being dispatched.