The Franklin County OES Search & Rescue (SAR) Team consists of approximately 35 volunteers, who donate their personal time and money to serve area citizens.  The SAR Team is activated by the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the report of a missing, lost, or overdue person.  The primary purpose of the SAR Team is to respond within Franklin County and, as requested, assist in searches in surrounding mutual-aid counties, such as Logan, Johnson, Crawford, Madison, Washington, etc. 

The Franklin County Search and Rescue team recognizes the need for a strong working relationship with our Mutual Aid Partners—SAR teams and across discipline lines with law enforcement officers, family members, EMT’s, state and federal officials.  When search teams are activated they have almost no way to predict how much time or how many personnel will be needed to successfully complete a search.  Therefore, we encourage our neighboring counties’ teams and all local disciplines who have responsibility at a search or rescue mission to train with us.  And we always try to send some of our team members when invited to another’s training or meeting.

Some of the urban and wilderness searches the team  participates in within Franklin and surrounding counties include: missing children; lost/confused ill or elderly persons; as well as overdue hunters, hikers, & canoeists.  Members are called out approximately 20 to 30 times a year for searches. 

Over 90% of the SAR Team members have achieved national certifications from the National Association of Search & Rescue (NASAR) and the National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC).  Working with the team are three search dogs (two with national certifications), as well as several horses which aid in searching large wilderness areas. 

Our SAR Deputy Coordinator, Ricky Shaw, holds the highest achievable certification under the National Association of Search and Rescue, while our OES Coordinator was recently named as the Arkansas Rural Search & Rescue Advisor to the Governer's Homeland Security Committee and serves on the Arkansas Emergency Management Association Board.  Both are certified NASAR instructors.

Home to a wealth of hiking and 4-wheeler trails, Franklin County has over 200,000 acres of forested land (over 50% of the county), as well as many recreational waterways, including the Mulberry and Arkansas rivers.  Recreational seekers from surrounding counties and states visit Franklin County to enjoy the natural scenery and sportsman's activities. 

If you have skills you think would assist in finding missing, lost or overdue persons and have an interest in doing volunteer work, please email rickys@fcoes.com for more information on how you can help or call 479-667-4909 during regular business hours. 

You can also help by  assisting team members in buying search and rescue supplies, equipment, etc.  Contributions of any size are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. Please make checks payable to FCSAR.

$5 buys a Search & Rescue educational packet for one child

$20 -$30 buys one NASAR text book for a search and rescue class

$27 buys one Search & Rescue uniform shirt (helps lost children recognize searchers)

$50 buys map tools for one searcher (orienteering compass, grid reader, ruler, etc.)

$75 pays to send one searcher to a Swift Water Rescue class

$100 buys one complete set of county topography maps

$100 buys one complete set of county topography maps

$200 buys one copy of the MAPTECH computer software (aids in search planning)

$500 sends one searcher to the annual NASAR educational conference