El Paso County Search and Rescue is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to saving lives through search, rescue and education.

EPCSAR provides search and rescue services primarily in the jurisdiction of El Paso County, Colorado, under the authority of the El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa.  However, the team also responds to requests for assistance from other counties through a cooperative arrangement with the Colorado Search and Rescue Board (CSRB). 

El Paso County Search and Rescue maintains certification through the international Mountain Rescue Association (MRA).  Our members, numbering over 70 strong, serve in a variety of roles while working towards a single goal, saving lives.

About El Paso County

El Paso County lies in east central Colorado and encompasses more then 2,158 square miles.  The altitude ranges from about 5,095 feet in the eastern portion to 14,110 on the summit of Pikes Peak.

With over 150,000 acres (230 square miles) of open space, El Paso County is an outdoor enthusiast paradise, offering hunting, fishing, camping, rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking.

What We Do

EPCSAR specializes in search and rescue operations involving:

• Rescue or Medical Assistance

• Search for missing, lost, or overdue

• Missing aircraft, balloon, or glider

• Activated emergency locator transmitters (ELT)

• Activated personal locator beacons (PLB)

• Disaster operations (flood, blizzard/snowstorm, major fire, earthquake, tornado, etc.

• Technical rescue/recovery, such as; high angle, ice rescue, confined space, avalanche

Funding

EPCSAR is a non-profit, volunteer organization.  All funding is derived from individual donations, grants and other types of fundraising.  Our members spend countless hours of their free time - and occasionally their work time - training and learning so that they will be ready to respond to a search and rescue operation on a moment's notice.  Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support the EPCSAR organization.

History

El Paso County Search and Rescue is a third generation organization. Its predecessors include the Mountain Aire C.B. Radio Club and the Wilderness Wanderers Search and Rescue Group. 

The first of these groups was organized in 1963 and was primarily a C.B. radio club, but did respond to some search and disaster situations. The second of these groups was formed in 1965 and had as its primary function search and rescue. 

The present group was incorporated April 8, 1970 as a nonprofit organization. In 1975, the group was accepted as a member of the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) and has become one of the most experienced rescue groups in Colorado. 

Over the years, the team has built its skills and accumulated the necessary equipment to become a totally self-supporting field unit capable of providing all of its needs to maintain a field operation lasting several days.

The team's inventory of mountaineering equipment, medical gear and radio equipment is extensive and was procured over a long period of time and hard work. In 1990, the team purchased a building to serve as an operational base, training facility and location to store group vehicles and gear.