New Mexico Search and Rescue

The New Mexico Emergency Services Council (NMESC) is an organization of search and rescue teams and government agencies with SAR responsibilities in New Mexico.

NMESC was incorporated in 1975 with the primary purpose of promoting the common interest of volunteer groups dedicated to saving lives and relieving human suffering during emergencies. NMESC promotes the cooperation and exchange of information among member teams and between the volunteer SAR community and all levels of government. NMESC encourages public education in wilderness safety and is committed to furthering community and government appreciation of SAR benefits and needs.

NMESC consults with the Office of the Governor on proposed legislation to improve and facilitate volunteer SAR services and represents the volunteer SAR teams before legislative committees conducting hearings on proposed SAR bills. NMESC sponsors training sessions for all member teams and agencies several times a year and has helped train New Mexico State Police Officers as Mission Initiators and others as Field Coordinators for SAR assignments in New Mexico.

It should be noted that NMESC neither has nor aspires to have field capability in search and rescue. NMESC, itself, does not conduct searches or rescue people, or, in any way, call, supervise, direct, or coordinate the volunteer teams and public agencies who do.

NMESC presently consists of approximately 50 teams and agency members from throughout New Mexico, Southern Colorado and Southern Arizona. To be eligible for voting membership a team must be volunteer, non-professional in that no fees are charged for SAR services, and competent to respond to SAR requests without having to obtain permission from a sponsoring or controlling agency. Organizations that do not meet these criteria may be voted on for agency membership in NMESC. Agency members enjoy most of the privileges of the dues paying voting members. NMESC is financed by money from dues and occasionally, donations are received but they are not solicited.

Among the member volunteer teams may be found para-professional specialists in land search, land search with trained dogs, mountain rescue and evacuation, water rescue and evacuation, air search, parachute rescue, road search, fire fighting, emergency medicine, long and short range communications, field food logistics and helicopter rescue. NMESC is a corporate member of the National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR), and is represented on its governing board.

NMESC holds general meetings in various parts of New Mexico approximately four times a year and prospective members are urged to attend. Applications for membership are available at the meetings or from the Secretary of the NMESC.