On August 19, 1958 then Sheriff Bob Twitchell signed a letter authorizing the setup of a land, air and sea rescue unit as part of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

An article in the Everett Herald said:

“A 14-man team is trained and officially designated and ready to tackle this county’s search and rescue missions. The team is called the Snohomish County Search and Rescue Unit…The men who comprise the unit—the county’s first organization set up solely for search and rescue – went through a stiff 28-week training course, one that honed and broadened skills needed for their job. Now they are a compact unit ready to move quickly to any trouble spot in the area.” And from those beginnings, in the midst of a record heatwave, on August 22, 1967 a new nonprofit was born. Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue, Inc. was formed as an independent organization, but still working closely with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. So, now 50 years later it is time to celebrate!

In the years since 1967 we have continued to grow from that original team of 14 men to nearly 300 men and women volunteers who respond to search and rescue missions 24/7. As in 1958, we continue to hone and broaden our skills and are ready to move quickly when the call comes. All so “That Others May Live!”

This summer we are planning a celebratory day and the public is invited to visit us at our 7 acre base called Taylor’s Landing and located in Snohomish. Come visit with our K9 teams, see our helicopters and visit with the crews from our Swiftwater, Man Trackers and Mountain Bike teams.

Stay tuned for more news on date and time.