Rensselaer County Search and Rescue (RCSAR) only responds when requested by law enforcement or emergency services agencies. Families may request our services thru the agency in charge of their loved one’s search. We are available 24/7 365 days in any weather condition. Our service is free. Bloodhounds are our main tool for finding lost/missing persons and we use other resources to supplement them. Our members and search dogs are highly trained with extensive experience in non-criminal and criminal searches in wilderness, suburban, and urban areas. More information about the resources we provide can be found below.
Contact Information
Emergency Number: 518-479-1212 (East Greenbush Police Dispatch)
Non Emergency Number: 518-858-2114
Membership
To become a member of our organization you need to be at least 18 years old and have a valid drivers license. Members are trained at minimum to the SAR Tech II and then specialize in one or more of the following areas:
Dog handler
Over 80 years of combined experience in bloodhound dog handling
- Our dog handlers have served as Civilian Specialists with the East Greenbush Police Department and Town of Colonie Police Department and have testified in court
Field Team
This is the backup team for the bloodhound. They are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the dog and their handler. They handle radio communications, safety of the team, GPS/navigation, and look out for clues and the lost/missing subject.
RCSAR Operations (self-contained)
We don’t take over your search but we do handle our own:
- Team radio communications
- Dog team tracking via computerized mapping software (Terrain Navigator Pro)
- Documentation. We are happy to provide your agency with our documentation and mapsOur mobile operations vehicles also have internet
Man Tracking
This is a visual tracking method that can:
- Determine direction of travel
- Find sign that confirms the search dog’s trail
- Follow a lost/missing person’s trail to find them
Rope rescue
- Over 50 years of combined experience in high and low angle rescue
- Expertise in packaging and removing patients from dangerous and/or inaccessible locations
Bloodhounds
Our main tool for finding lost/missing persons is the bloodhound due to its amazing man-trailing ability. We currently have three bloodhounds in service.
After giving the bloodhound a scent article with the lost/missing person’s scent on it and starting where the person was last scene, the bloodhound will follow the person’s scent. They don’t travel the exact path the person took but go were the wind and air currents carry the scent.
Features of bloodhounds:
- Can tell the difference between each individuals’ unique scent (yes, even identical twins)
- Require a scent article and place last scene
- Can work where there are other people
- Can work old trails (>72 hours)
- Our bloodhounds aren’t put in service until the can successfully complete a
trail that is at least 24 hours old and at least 1 mile long - Very friendly and don’t bark on trail
- Always are on lead
- Have enormous strength and stamina
- Work in any weather condition including rain and snow
Other Search Dogs
If needed we are able to call in other types of search dogs such as:
- Human Remains Detection (HRD) dogs. HRD dogs detect the specific odor of decomposing humans
- Air scent dogs. They find ANY human scent in a given area
- Tracking dogs. These dogs also use a scent article. They find the actual path the person walked by mixing human scent with ground disturbance
Scent
Scent is the foundation for all K9 search work. Each person has their own unique scent just like they have unique fingerprints.
Scent Articles
A scent article is something that ONLY the lost/missing person has worn/touched. If possible, it is helpful to us if the lost/missing person’s room/car is sealed off so no one accidently touches potential scent articles. Some examples of scent articles are:
- Clothing (shirts, hats, underwear)
- Bedding (pillow cases, sheets)
- Hair brushes
- Car seats and steering wheels
- Blood
- For articles we can’t take with us we use scent transfer by using a sterile gauze pad.
Scent articles are required for our bloodhounds to find a lost/missing person making each search highly dependent on the scent article so we prefer to collect them ourselves. If you must collect a scent article yourself follow these steps:
- Make sure ONLY the lost/missing person has touched/worn the item
- Turn a food grade plastic bag or unused paper bag inside out to pick up the scent article
- DO NOT use a garage bag to store or collect the scent article
- Write the date, time, and name of the person who collected the scent article on the
outside of the bag
Education and Training
We provide free lectures, demonstrations, and field training to any interested agencies. We are also available for public lectures, demonstrations, and community events,
Rensselaer County Search And Rescue 