8-07-2024 1:27am

New Mexico State Police Search and Rescue Partnerships Assist Across the State

Chris Edwards Editor

The New Mexico State Police often receives calls that lead to a search and rescue mission for lost and stranded individuals. Cibola Search and Rescue volunteers use many different skill sets to aid in these searches.

Cibola Search and Rescue (CiSAR) is a team of volunteers located in the Albuquerque area that assist. Members of CiSAR have a wide variety of skills needed to help locate missing or injured individuals. Most of the volunteers are “ground pounders”, or field team members, who search on foot. They are trained in navigation, search techniques, and litter handling. They carry equipment out into the field to aid in rescue operations. Many members have medical backgrounds and have also been trained in wilderness emergency medicine.

Another group of CiSAR volunteers are the support team members. These members utilize radio communication to speak between the Incident Management Team and the teams in the field. Support Team members can also pilot Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS or “drones”) to search for subjects remotely. Similarly, they can also locate subjects who have activated a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or other devices such that send out an SOS signal.

With these types of skills they possess, CiSAR members are a valuable asset when called upon. The fact that they respond at any given time shows their dedication and commitment to the mission at hand.

Another partnership is Mountain Canine Corps (MCC) is a volunteer, non-profit search and rescue team based in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Founded in 1986, MCC is a proud member of the New Mexico search and rescue community.

Their mission is to train nationally certified wilderness and human remains search dogs in order to help locate missing or deceased persons.

Their handler and dog teams respond to missions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in all seasons and weather. Although Mountain Canine Cops focuses primarily on wilderness missions, their team also has experienced handlers and canines in cold cases and urban disaster search and rescues. Their motto is that of the SAR community - “That others may live.”

Mountain Canine Corps members play an important role when agencies have exhausted most other means of locating individuals in tough terrain. They dedicate a considerable amount of time to their craft so when they get the call, they can deploy quickly and efficiently.

Another organization called the Sandia Search Dogs provides canine search and rescue service that are available in partnership as well.

The Sandia Search Dogs, based in Albuquerque, NM, is an organization dedicated to aiding the New Mexico State Police in locating missing individuals and assisting those who are injured. They train and certify search and rescue dogs for air scent, trailing, and human remains detection. Canine handlers and field support personnel deploy with these dogs on search and rescue missions statewide, responding to callouts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, often on very little notice given.

Search and rescue dogs are a vital tool in locating individuals that are lost in various types of terrain where it takes more than the human eye to find any evidence of that missing individual. These canines can work in any kind of weather, both day and night to bring someone’s beloved family member home.

They also collaborate with and support other search and rescue teams by providing additional resources as necessary. They are committed to public service, providing educational demonstrations to various organizations and supporting local charity events.

Sandia Search Dogs provide a valuable service and skillset to those who need help and will continue to assist their communities in any capacity that is asked of them