We are the designated search and rescue team for Adams County, Colorado. Under the statutory authority of the Adams County Sheriff, we handle all search and rescue requests within the county and have responded to other counties in Colorado and out of state requests.

Adams County Search and Rescue, Inc. is owned by Rampart search and rescue, therefore both are one in the same.

The Rampart Range is located in Douglas, El Paso and Teller counties in Colorado. Rampart search and rescue has nothing to do with these counties or area. The name Rampart comes from the NBC TV '70's show "Emergency". Rampart was the name of the hospital on the show.

Our team utilizes highly trained personal using both 4x4 vehicles as well as performing searches on foot for locating missing, lost, stranded, trapped and injured persons in areas inaccessible to standard vehicles with a highly trained K-9 unit. Rampart Search and Rescue is comprised of approximately 20 volunteers including 7 Explorers. The Unit was established in 1999 after the Adams County Office of Emergency Management under then Director Lt. Doug Darr (now Sheriff of Adams County) recognized that there was a need for trained search and rescue in the County, especially aiding the Sheriff's Office in rescuing stranded motorists along the I-70 corridor east of Denver when the road is closed due to adverse weather conditions. Additionally, our squad will provide support and assistance to any agency that requests our services, in or out of the state of Colorado. The team has search and rescue expertise in; Incident Command, Search Operations, Communications, Canine Search, Helicopter Search, Evidence Search, Scene Safety, Cave, CERT, basic first aid, triage, and many other areas.

We are on call twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, regardless of weather conditions or circumstances. We are a non-profit, totally volunteer organization that depends on the support of the community, grants and fundraisers to maintain operations. We are always looking to expand our capabilities with newly donated equipment and training.

 Incident Command and Search Operations:

These members are ICS and NIMS certified and are equipped with computerized mapping software to formulate search plans and now with the new Infinity GPS microphones, developed by one of our own team members as a commercial product for FEMA and other agencies (federal and state), allows each member using their own portable radios; can track searchers in the field along with their progress in real time, send and record waypoints, locate other members and their search tracks as well as send text messages, where the incident Command Post may use either Google Earth™ or any number of mapping software programs to view in real time the progress of the search.
 

 Communications:

Our members are trained in all aspects of communications and have their own communications equipment (mobile / portable) to include; CB, Low Band, VHF, UHF and 800MHz (analog and digital P25) radios, using an extended array of team owned Public Safety repeaters in Adams County and along the front range of Colorado. We also have access to most local and national Public Safety mutual aid frequencies.

Rampart Search and Rescue is the pioneer in new GPS technology in mobile/portable radio communications. Our 2-way radios are equipped with GPS microphones so that we know were our search teams are at all times in the field. The first real field test was the Windsor, Colorado tornado in May 2008. The command post kept track of our units in the field, in real time, overlaying the data over a internet mapping program.

RSAR has access to the Government Emergency Telephone System (GETS) and the Cellular Priority Access System that give priority to our mission coordinators over other users during emergencies. Communications is made up of several redundant communications systems in order to support the team under any circumstances. These systems range through all radio bands that include HF, Low Band (vhf Low), VHF (vhf high), UHF, and 800 megahertz frequencies. This is supplemented by a full range of amateur radios and amateur radio operator support. All of RSAR communication licenses are in the Public Safety ranges of frequencies. Additionally, the communications section is equipped with access to federal and state National Alert Warning Systems dedicated telephone circuits. RSAR also has a full range of mobile radio equipment as well as cellular equipment.

Canine (K9):

This group uses canines highly trained in; tracking, trailing, scent as well as trace human remains for recovery. Our K9 team pride themselves as having the most blood hounds than any other search and rescue team in the country.

We have been call upon several times to provide cadaver dogs. The county Coroner's Office called us out this past summer looking for possible remains. Our bloodhound found what they (the CSI team) was looking for in 20 minutes after being deployed.

Each dog lives with its owner, and is trained by the individual handler. It takes approximately 800 hours of training before the dogs become "operational". Our field training imitates real life situations such as wilderness, water, disaster, child, elderly, hikers, hunters, cadaver, etc.

Highly Trained and Ready to Respond

All team members train year round in map and compass, GPS use, communications, first aid, evidence preservation, and search and rescue operations. When called out each member of the team responds to the search area with their equipment, first aid supplies and two-way radios with search coordinators and other team members.

Law Enforcement and Fire Departments across the county have repeatedly requested our services to assist in all manner of searches. Such as: locating downed aircraft, lost hikers, lost or missing children, crime scene / evidence searches and other requests for our services along with disaster situations.

We also assist in FEMA's CERT training classes and exercises in Adams County, our classes are repeatedly told time and time again as one of the best classes of the CERT program.

We responded within 48 hours with two search and rescue teams to New Orleans, Louisiana and were on the ground for over two weeks after Hurricane Katrina. We have also been evolved in several multi agency training exercises here in the Denver metro area and have invited other agencies to our trainings.

We are a non profit organization that prides itself in serving the Community. We receive no outside funding from the county, state or federal. We can only make this work by donations from people like you.

DONATE TO RAMPART SEARCH and RESCUE

The RSAR team is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that relies on fundraisers and donations to support our efforts. Anyone wishing to donate or help sponsor the Rampart Search and Rescue team here in Adams County, Colorado please contact 1-303-227-1574. Your support helps us to 'bring loved ones home'!

Our mailing address:

Rampart Search and Rescue, Inc.

P.O. Box 33336

Northglenn, Colorado 80233-0336
303-227-1574