Maine Association for Search and Rescue (MASAR)

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With 14 member units, the Maine Association for Search And Rescue (MASAR) stands ready to field as many as 125 professional SAR volunteers at a moment's notice. Our teams respond statewide for ground search and rescue, technical rescue, K-9 search and rescue, and horseback (mounted) search and rescue.

2022 Conference

Group photo from 2022 MASAR Annual Conference

Technical Rescue with Litter

Mounted Air Scent Team in Training

Both MASAR mounted teams are training in Equine Air Scent Detection.

2022 Conference

Group photo from 2022 MASAR Annual Conference

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Mission & Purpose

MASAR promotes and develops search and rescue (SAR) capabilities and resources in the State of Maine with the goal of saving lives, and acts as a liaison between Maine's volunteer SAR organizations and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and similar agencies both in and out of state.

Bylaws and Policies

As a mostly-administrative umbrella organization, the majority of policies that units and their members must abide by are created and maintained by the individual units. There are a few MASAR policies, however, with which MASAR units must maintain familiarity.

Donate

MASAR is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 non-profit organization. MASAR solicits and accepts gifts consistent with its mission. Donations will generally be accepted from individuals, partnerships, corporations, foundations, government agencies, etc. Non-monetary gifts must be reviewed by the Board.

How to Join a Unit

Our teams are ALWAYS looking for volunteers. Qualified, certified volunteers are the heart of SAR, because the dispatching agency (Warden Service, Acadia Nat'l Park, Baxter State Park, Maine Marine Patrol, etc) needs to know their professional volunteer searchers won't divert resources by getting lost or needing medical attention.

2023 Annual Conference

BASAR (Basic Search And Rescue) Online Training

The 2023 Annual Conference will be held May 19-21 at Camp Wavus in Jefferson, Maine. Click here for details.

Quarterly Meetings

See the calendar below for specific dates. The meetings rotate between the IF&W headquarters in Sidney and Bangor. Units are reps and or alternate reps are encouraged to attend.

MASAR has developed a comprehensive online Basic SAR (BASAR) course. It is available to anyone interested in learning more about SAR. If you are associated with a MASAR unit, ask your unit for a coupon to reduce the cost of this course. Click here to sign up.

The BASAR exam and field skills tests are usually held on the Friday prior to the annual conference. Please email the Education Director, Bryan Courtois, for more information on that option. Other than this, teams are encouraged to test new members' Field Skills themselves using the Individual Documentation and Test Checklist.

BASAR Online Training

MASAR Dues are Due for Member units on January 1

MASAR Unit dues are $45 per year. Units need to remain “active,” that is, pay dues, for their MASAR certifications to remain valid, in order to maintain their memberships, and to vote.