Cherokee County Search And Rescue Seeks Volunteers

CANTON, GA — If you like to get outdoors or want to lend a hand in helping missing people or children return home safely, then the Cherokee County Search and Rescue team could be right up your alley. The organization, which is part of Cherokee County Fire and Emergencies, will soon begin its annual recruitment drive to add to its ranks.

Darrell Mitchell, chief of special operations with Cherokee County fire who oversees the Search and Rescue team, said he has about 23 active members. The group maxes out at 30 volunteers. For those who aren't familiar with the organization, the Search and Rescue team supports local law enforcement agencies that need help in locating lost or missing individuals. Team members are trained to search for missing children, folks with either dementia or Alzheimer's disease or anyone who may get lost or hurt while riding or hiking on county trails.

Mitchell said the organization, which received 39 calls for assistance last year, caters to anyone who is active and likes to help people. Volunteers have to be physically fit, as the team does searches in and around lakes, mountain, cities, buildings and parking lots. Some of their rescue missions, he added, can go as long as 12 hours and can span 10 to 12 miles.

“It’s a pretty good commitment to be on our team," he added.

Cherokee County Search and Rescue Team also has four K-9's that assist in their efforts, two of which just completed their annual certification. K-9 Ruth, who is trained in tracking and obedience, and K-9 Maggie, trained in obedience, tracking as well as article evidence search, completed their certification last month with the North American Police Work Dog Association.

Mitchell said most public safety K-9's are trained to track for a short amount of time. The K-9's they have on hand, however, are trained to go out and search for people who have been missing for up to 24 hours. These workers, he added, are known as passive-alert dogs, meaning they can discover a person's location, return to their handler and communicate their findings. This allows the search and rescue team to cover many acres of land when working a case, Mitchell added.

The team not only focuses on Cherokee County, but also lends a hand to neighboring law enforcement agencies. For example, Mitchell said the team has been called out to Alpharetta, Roswell and Pickens and Fannin counties.

"We are contacted by many public safety agencies since our group is trained to do what we do," he added.

Of course, since the Search and Rescue Team is a county-run organization, anyone seeking to sign up must meet qualifications set forth by the local government and Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services. Volunteers must also be committed to regular training sessions, which Mitchell said are every third Mondays and the following Saturday of each month.

Details about the organization and qualifications can be found on Cherokee County Search and Rescue's website. You can also follow the group on its Facebook page.

Images via Cherokee County Search and Rescue