More About Us

Organization | Meetings | Board of Directors

The El Dorado Search & Rescue Council, or ESARC, is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to support the El Dorado County Sheriff's volunteer search and rescue team. ESARC fulfills its mission through:

• Fundraising
• Asset Management
• Advanced Training
• Equipment
• Special Projects
• Public Education

Organization

ESARC's officers and board are all SAR volunteers. Each SAR unit is represented at ESARC by two representatives. These twelve representatives serve as ESARC's Board of Directors.

SAR members who would like to focus on certain issues may form Focused Interest Groups. FIG members do research, discuss issues and advise the Board, but do not vote.

ESARC is a non-profit (i.e., "501c(3)") corporation.

Meetings

ESARC has a regular meeting at 6:30 on the fourth Monday of every other month (January, March, May, July, September and November) at the ESARC Lodge in Cedar Grove. MAP .

Fundraising    More information...

ESARC holds one major fundraiser each year:

• Crab Feed - Our Annual Crab Feed is held at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds the second Saturday in January. Tickets can be purchased in advance. Announcements are published in advance here on the website.

ESARC also receives donations from:

ESARC raises approximately $24,000 annually. All ESARC money goes to benefit Search and Rescue. No ESARC member receives a salary.

Asset Management

ESARC, as a non-profit 501c(3) corporation, can acquire and hold SAR property without tax consequences.

For example, when the Cedar Grove Community Center wanted to donate a building to SAR, the transfer went quickly and economically, thanks in part to ESARC's tax-exempt status.

ESARC also provides a way for individuals and families to donate directly to SAR. Without ESARC the donations, which are often heartfelt "Thank You" gifts, would legally have to go to the County's general fund.

Training

ESARC often pays for SAR volunteers to attend fee-based classes and seminars presented by other counties or other agencies. Some examples are:

• High and low angle rescue
• Avalanche awareness
• Man tracking
• Search management
• Swift water rescue
• Team building skills

Equipment

ESARC owns much of the equipment that El Dorado Sheriff's SAR members use in the field. Examples are radios, GPS units, and even vehicles. ESARC acquires this equipment through donations or outright purchases.

ESARC equipment decisions are usually sound ones, because the ESARC Board members who approve equipment today may be using it tomorrow.

Special Projects

ESARC researches, develops and implements special projects at the request of the SAR units. These projects typically streamline operations or provide new equipment. For example, in 1998, ESARC formed project committees to:

• Streamline call-out procedures
• Design and deploy a base camp computer system
• Acquire the ESARC Lodge building in Cedar Grove
• Maintain the "Fort SAR" facility.

Public Education

ESARC offers the Hug-A-Tree program, a wilderness survival presentation, throughout the community at no charge. Several hundred children annually view this hour-long presentation in local schools, Scout troops and churches.

We also provide speakers and demonstrations for public service groups, churches and other organizations.

Read more about El Dorado County Search and Rescue here.