Okanogan Search and Rescue Association

06/11/2026

The text alert can pop up at any minute, notifying search and rescue members of a missing hiker, injured climber, or overdue backcountry skier. Answering that alert is part of their daily lives, and it can come at any time, in the middle of dinner, during a snowstorm, or even while they’re laying ...

06/06/2026

This podcast has some great interviews with SAR k9 handlers from around the country. Especially good info for people who are beginners and are considering getting a dog to train as a search dog.

Pets & Animals Podcast · Updated Biweekly · Hunt-Find-Alert is a discussion about everything related to K-9 Search and Rescue. This podcast is for people involved in Search and Rescue, first responders, or people who are just interested in the …

05/11/2026

On Saturday, members of Okanogan County Search and Rescue practiced a mock mission to incorporate searching, ground teams, communications, rope rescue, subject first aid, and wheeled litter. A moderate angle litter lowering was practiced by the rope rescue team. This training day was designed to mimic a real mission to test the team after the many hours of training they have been putting in recently. The hasty team encountered an environmental hazard - a very large and agitated Northern Pacific rattlesnake - in a pinch point on the trail with limited options of going around the snake without being in striking distance. The team communicated over the radio about the hazard and waited until it was safer to pass. Thank you to all who helped plan and organize this training.

05/11/2026

04/30/2026

What happens behind the scenes when someone is lost, injured, or overdue in the backcountry?

In this new episode of Between Here and Help, Nicole Ringgold speaks with Christina Woodworth, Search and Rescue Coordinator for the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, about the volunteer teams who respond when emergencies happen across one of Washington’s largest and most rugged counties.

They talk about how rescues are launched, the realities of remote terrain, prevention, text-to-911, and the people who step forward when others need help most.

A thoughtful and eye-opening conversation about community, preparedness, and what it means to show up when it matters.

Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/between-here-and-help/id1868068876

04/27/2026

Okanogan SAR volunteers spent this past Saturday running through some mock high angle rescue scenarios at Fun Rock near Mazama, WA. This was the culmination of a month of weekly rope rescue ground school trainings where volunteers learned all the basics of our rope rescue systems including topics like knots, anchor building and litter attending. This past month has been a busy training season for search and rescue and we are grateful to our volunteers for putting in the hours to be able to respond to technical rescues in Okanogan County.

04/17/2026

Hmmm let’s think of a story we could tell about the handy dandy app.

It's our birthday and we're running a giveaway! Keep reading to learn how to enter.

On April 16, 2012, the California Secretary of State approved our LLC paperwork. We’ve started referring to this day as "CalTopo Day".

To celebrate 14 years (and counting), we want to hear your CalTopo story! The big objective. A mission that stuck with you. The first trip you planned yourself. It all counts and we want to hear it.

To enter the giveaway:
-Share a post or reel on your timeline highlighting your favorite CalTopo story
-Tag us in the post and include in the caption.

We'll feature our favorite posts and reels on our page and the winners will receive:
-A free year on a new or existing individual subscription
-CalTopo swag (and if you're on a team account, we'll send you extra swag to share!)

Enter by 11:59 PM PST on Friday April 24th. Winners will be announced on our page and contacted via DM the following week.

We can't wait to hear your stories. Happy CalTopo Day!

Note: This promotion is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.

04/16/2026

Okanogan County Search and Rescue is happy to announce that our team was awarded the Okanogan Valley Legacy Fund Grant from the Community Foundation of NCW to support our mission statement of “Committing to service-above-self, perpetual training, and inter-agency cooperation to maintain a constant state of readiness for search, rescue, incident response and above all else, safety.”

With these funds, OCSAR will purchase and repair rescue equipment used by the team and support our ongoing training.

Huge thanks to the Community Foundation of NCW for this investment in the County’s emergency response.

The Community Foundation of North Central Washington (CFNCW) has awarded $140,000 to 32 nonprofits across the Okanogan Valley through its Okanogan Valley Fund (OVF) Legacy Grant Program.

04/14/2026

Celebrating National Volunteer Month- Honoring the Heart of Search and Rescue

Every day across the country, professionally trained volunteer Search and Rescue (SAR) teams stand ready to respond when the call for help comes. These dedicated individuals give their time, their skills, and often their nights and weekends to ensure that others make it home safely.

During National Volunteer Month, we proudly recognize the thousands of NASAR‑trained volunteers who serve their communities with courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment. From wilderness searches and disaster response to K9 teams, technical rescue, and emergency medical support—these volunteers are the backbone of SAR operations nationwide.

Their work is demanding. Their training is rigorous. And their impact is immeasurable.

To every volunteer who has answered the call: thank you.
Your service saves lives, strengthens communities, and inspires us all.

If you’ve ever considered joining the SAR community, there’s no better time to get involved. Learn more about training, certification, and how you can make a difference at www.nasar.org

03/12/2026