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Search and Rescue Academy

Search & Rescue Academy

2026 SAR Academy

2026 Search & Rescue Academy. The Benton County Search and Rescue (SAR) certification course is only offered once per year. Schedule: the 8 week course is held on Thursday nights 6:00-9:00pm and Saturdays 8:30am-3:00pm, beginning the first Thursday of March. Attendance: It is mandatory to attend all field exercises and must have 93% or higher attendance in order to graduate. If you have a certificate that you are skilled in a particular topic, you may be excused if unable to attend that class. Registration: Registration has not been opened. Please email SpecialServices@bentoncountyor.gov for more information. Gold star and 3 photos of participants actively training.

The 2026 Benton County Search and Rescue Certification Course is currently running. To apply for our 2027 academy, please check back with us in the fall.

About the course

This search and rescue academy gives you the chance to learn new skills and earn certification to deploy on missions in Oregon if you join one of our volunteer units. Current and in-process Benton County SAR members will receive priority for the limited seats.

Schedule

The academy lasts 8 weeks and starts each year on the first Thursday in March. Classes are held on Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Attendance

You must attend all field exercises. To graduate, you need at least 93% attendance.

If you already have a certificate showing you are trained in a certain topic, you may be excused from that class if you cannot attend. To request this, please contact specialservices@bentoncountyor.gov.

Minors

The academy is designed for adults, but anyone age 16 or older can join.

If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must sign a consent form. They must also attend the course with you.

You will also need to complete and sign the SAR Academy Minor Participation Authorization form along with your other registration materials. To request this, please contact specialservices@bentoncountyor.gov.

Prerequisites

If you are accepted into the class, you must complete three online FEMA Incident Command System courses—ICS 100, 200, and 700—before the academy starts.

You must also have current CPR and First Aid certifications by the first day of class. If you need these, an optional course will be offered before the academy begins.

The cost of the class is $40. Please email for more information.

Fee

The cost is $125. This covers books and course materials.

Register

Email the Special Services Program Specialist at specialservices@bentoncountyor.gov to check if space is available or to ask questions.

The following curriculum will be covered during the SAR course and other topics may be added:

  • Introduction to SAR, Oregon SAR laws, and Benton County SAR Plan
  • Search strategies, tracking, and K-9 resources
  • Communications and clothing & equipment
  • SkySAR and distress alert beacons
  • SARGAR, knots, and search leadership
  • Wilderness navigation: maps, GPS, and field exercise
  • Lost subject behavior and SAR Topo
  • Equine resources and medical day
  • Environmental injuries and rescue techniques
  • Crime scene hazard protocols and ethics
  • Fire, shelter, water, and signaling field exercise

Apply

Request a volunteer application from specialservices@bentoncountyor.gov.

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