Search and Rescue

Boone County Search & Rescue: Who We Are
“When others cannot respond, we will.
When others are overwhelmed, we serve.
Our mission is simple—bring them home safely.”

Boone County Search & Rescue was founded in the 1960s during the Cold War to support the Boone County Civil Defense. Early responsibilities included emergency preparedness and roles like Auxiliary Policemen. As the needs of the community changed, the unit evolved—transitioning from civil defense support to a focus on technical rescue operations, including land-based searches, specialized water rescue, and scuba recovery.

As Boone County’s emergency services expanded, Search & Rescue adapted in kind. Our all-volunteer team, operating as a division of the Boone County Sheriff’s Office and a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has long played a vital role in supplementing fire departments and law enforcement—providing services ranging from event support and traffic control to firefighter air supply.

Today, Boone County Search & Rescue provides core technical rescue capabilities across water rescue and recovery, ground search operations, and rope rescue. Our team utilizes three vessels for varied water conditions and advanced software to support coordinated ground search efforts across rural and wilderness terrain.

In addition to emergency response, we are expanding our role in disaster operations through debris clearance, volunteer management, and damage assessment support—helping Boone County respond to and recover from storms and other major incidents.

We continue to look ahead, training for the next challenge and planning to expand into additional technical rescue disciplines to meet the growing needs of our community.

If you're interested in supporting or joining our efforts, please contact:

• Seth McCrea – smccrea@boonecounty.iowa.gov

• Chris Hayes – chayes@boonecounty.iowa.gov

Visit us on our website to learn more: Boone County Search & Rescue