El Dorado Search and Rescue Council, INC (ESARC) is a 501c(3) non-profit corporation that supports the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department’s efforts to maintain a mission-ready volunteer search and rescue team (SAR).

Organization

ESARC is composed of five annually elected officers and two representatives from each team (all must be active SAR volunteers and serve without remuneration of any kind). Any SAR volunteer may bring an agenda item to the Board for review and consideration.

Meetings

ESARC meets on the fourth Monday of every month (unless otherwise scheduled) at 200 Industrial Avenue, Placerville, CA 95667

2022 Board of Directors:

• President: Gary Moore

• Vice President: Bruce McAdams

• Asset Director: Bob Jackson

• Secretary: Catherine Ciofalo

• Treasurer: Chris Calderon

• Ass’t Treasurer: Bob Jackson

Donations

100% of donations are used to sustain EDSAR operations and enhance capabilities. As a 501c(3), your donation is tax deductible (Federal Tax ID #68-0097526). State: CT-66026 State Entity: C1541698

Donations can be mailed to:

Monthly Meeting Location

Fundraising

ESARC major fundraiser annually is the Crab Feed:

Crab Feed– The annual Crab Feed is a January tradition in El Dorado County – a sell-out event for over 30 years. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Raley’s, 166 Placerville Drive, Placerville.

Local Events

EDSAR supports a wide variety of community events, with volunteers to provide:

• On-site stand-by in locating lost persons

• On-site communications services

• On-site stand-by for first aid

• General wilderness preparedness and safety education

Public Education/Awareness Presentations

• Hug-A-Tree Program. This is a wilderness survival presentation tailored for young children, and is offered to our community at no charge. In 2013, this program was presented to over 600 local children.

• National Night Out campaign. In 2013, Placerville was the national 1st place winner for overall participation in the Under 15,000 Population category.

Equipment

Donations are used to purchase specialized rescue equipment in order to maintain mission-ready capabilities for a wide variety of emergency scenarios.

Advanced Training

Donations are used to obtain advanced training in:

• Technical Rope Rescue

• Man-Tracking

• Search Management and Theory

• Swift Water Rescue

• Canine Tracking

Joint Training

Joint training with other counties prepares teams for working together on mutual aid operations. The California Office of Emergency Services encourages these cross-training efforts and sanctions an annual State Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX). In 2012, ESARC/EDSAR hosted the Northern California SAREX. This event drew over 400 participants from throughout California, offering presentations/training by subject matter experts and EDSAR volunteers in every facet of SAR operations.