Waldo County Search and Rescue
Serving Waldo County and the State of Maine since 1985

The Waldo County Search and Rescue Team is a rural search and rescue team based out of Belfast. The team completes searches throughout Waldo County and the State of Maine. Typically, the WCSAR is called out by the Maine Warden's Service, but with the signing of a new agreement, the WCSAR can also be called out by the Waldo County EMA.

WCSAR is a member of the Maine Association of Search and Rescue (MASAR) and conducts ground searches for lost hunters and hikers and others, including children and people affected by dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and autism. We also assist in recovering evidence in suspected homicide investigations, both rural and urban.

Unit and Individual Standards

• Treat property you are searching on or training at with respect.
• Show respect for the family and friends of the person you are searching for.
• Give medical treatment only to the level of your training.
• Keep all confidential information confidential until it has been cleared.
• Follow directions given by law enforcement officers and search officials.
• Do not show prejudice based on gender, sexual preference, age, race, religion, or mental capacity.
• Treat fellow team members and other volunteers with respect.

How You Can Help

As an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization, Waldo County Search and Rescue depends on the support of people like you.

Volunteer:

In search and rescue, there are ways for people of many different skill levels and abilities to contribute. We welcome new volunteers. The team meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. downstairs at the Waldo County EMA office at 45A Congress Street in Belfast.

Donate:

Volunteers donate their time for training and searches, and provide most of their own basic equipment, which is similar to that needed for other outdoor activities such as hiking and hunting. But training costs money, and so does specialized equipment like radios and generators.

Our mission depends on the generous support of individuals and companies, along with money raised during team fund-raisers. The more you help, the more we can do.

Contributions are tax deductible and can be sent to:

Waldo County Search and Rescue
45A Congress Street
Belfast, Maine 04915

For more information about joining the team or making a donation, contact Gary Drinkwater (338-3394) or Harvey King (342-5377).

Current Projects

We are working to equip and customize our 12-foot Hallmark trailer. Plans include installing a generator, solar panel, and radio system.

A Recent Search

Waldo County Search and Rescue joined teams from all over Maine on Nov. 11, 2007, to help police search for clues in the disappearance of Lewiston resident Donna Paradis. Teams received photos of the missing woman taken by a bank surveillance camera just before she disappeared in late October, and were assigned to search different open areas near Lewiston.

A Waldo County team searching along an abandoned rail line late that morning found a pickax and, soon after, the victim's jacket. This made it possible for police to concentrate their search in that area. Teams took a break while police investigated and then returned to continue searching the area until nightfall. A smaller group of volunteers continued the search the next day, and Ms. Paradis’ body was found in a shallow grave.

Outdoor Safety Tips

Here are some ways to keep yourself safe and if you do get lost, some ways to help us find you.
• Let someone know where you are going.
• Carry a basic survival kit, including a small knife, waterproof matches, a compass, and a whistle.
• Dress warmly, and be prepared for rain.

If you get lost
• Stay put. You'll be easier to find if you don't move around.
• Concentrate on staying warm and dry and calm.
• Signal with whatever you have: fire, a mirror, an article of hunter orange clothing, or a whistle.

  (Based on advice in You Alone in the Maine Woods, written by Gareth Anderson and John Marsh of the Maine Warden Service.)

  Officers Director: Gary Drinkwater, Northport Assistant director: Harvey King, Searsmont Treasurer: Joanne Ames, Searsmont Secretary: Amanda Morgan, Belfast Quartermaster: Kerry Parker, Belfast Training officer: Kevin Winslow, Belfast Board member: Philip Kelley, Belfast Board member: James Ames, Searsmont Links Maine Association for Search and Rescue Maine Search and Rescue Dogs Maine Wing Civil Air Patrol National Association for Search and Rescue National Search and Rescue Secretariat, Canada

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  RETURN TO THE Waldo County EMA Homepage.