Alaska Search and Rescue
Who leads searches in Alaska, how agencies request state help, and the resources behind them. Verified items link to their source. Reviewed November 2026.
Emergency: call 911. State 24-hour contact: Emergencies: 911 or the nearest Alaska State Troopers post. A statewide SAR Coordinator supports Troopers in the field 24/7; for non-emergencies call the nearest AST post. State Emergency Operations Center (DHS&EM): 1-800-478-2337 or 907-428-7100. How a state request works ↓
Requesting state help in Alaska
Alaska has no county sheriffs. The Department of Public Safety, through the Alaska State Troopers (AST), has overall statewide responsibility for search and rescue (AS 18.60.120–.175).
- State 24-hour contactEmergencies: 911 or the nearest Alaska State Troopers post. A statewide SAR Coordinator supports Troopers in the field 24/7; for non-emergencies call the nearest AST post. State Emergency Operations Center (DHS&EM): 1-800-478-2337 or 907-428-7100.
- Requesting state resourcesIn an emergency call 911, or the nearest Alaska State Troopers post. There is no waiting period to report a missing person in Alaska.
Want to write the request out before you call? Use the request builder. Official agency: Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM) ↗.
Key numbers
Only figures with a published source.
Alaska has no counties: 19 organized boroughs plus 11 census areas in the Unorganized Borough (Valdez-Cordova was split into Chugach and Copper River in 2019).
BluePrintSAR resource pages for Alaska (below).
How search and rescue is requested in Alaska
- Step 1In an emergency call 911, or the nearest Alaska State Troopers post. There is no waiting period to report a missing person in Alaska.
- Step 2Local police or fire may start a local response, but the AST post or detachment SAR coordinator takes the lead for ground SAR and appoints the incident commander, who may be a volunteer.
- Step 3AST calls out authorized volunteer groups and can deploy the AIMT-SAR incident management team for large or complex searches.
- Step 4For aircraft and military help, AST works with the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (Alaska Air National Guard), which coordinates Guard, Army and Civil Air Patrol aircraft. Private aircraft are coordinated through the Civil Air Patrol or by AST directly.
- Step 5Searches on navigable waters go to the U.S. Coast Guard; searches in national park areas are led by the National Park Service.
Law and authority
When a person is lost, injured or needs rescue, the Commissioner of Public Safety or a designee may appoint a competent person to lead a search and rescue party. Only they may authorize people to take part.
The Commissioner or designee may organize SAR training exercises and authorize who takes part.
No civil damages action against the state, local governments or their officers, agents or employees for acts or omissions in authorized SAR activities.
SAR party expenses are paid from the state treasury on sworn vouchers approved by the Commissioner of Public Safety.
Anyone who knows that a person has mysteriously disappeared, failed to reach a destination in the state within a reasonable time, or become separated from travel companions must notify the Commissioner of Public Safety or a designee in that district. Failing to report is a misdemeanor (AS 18.60.160).
An Alaska resident who volunteers and is an authorized participant in a SAR training exercise or SAR activity is a state employee for workers' compensation if injured or killed.
The Department of Public Safety maintains liaison between the state and the Civil Air Patrol and handles the state’s funding contribution to the Alaska Wing.
State plans and guidelines
Official plans, annexes and program documents for Alaska.
- Alaska DPS policy 234, Search and Rescue Operations (Oct 2023) ↗ — Department of Public Safety operating policy for Alaska State Troopers search and rescue operations, dated 5 October 2023.
- Alaska State Troopers, Search and Rescue ↗ — AST search and rescue program page.
Resources by discipline
What each resource does, how it is requested in Alaska, and the standards that apply.
Listed in BluePrintSAR directories for Alaska
Loading counts…
Counts are directory category listings, not unique organizations, personnel or available assets. Informational canine placeholders are excluded. Organizations can appear in several categories; canine specialty subtotals can overlap.
Sheriff / State Troopers
Alaska has no county sheriffs.
Aviation
Alaska State Troopers hold statewide SAR responsibility; aircraft come from the Alaska National Guard, Coast Guard, National Park Service and Civil Air Patrol, coordinated by the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center.
Technical Mountain Rescue
MRA teams listedTeams for steep, high-angle and alpine terrain that use rope systems to reach and evacuate people.
National Guard
Governor-activatedMilitary helicopters and personnel for hoist rescue, aerial search and ground support when civilian resources can’t do the job.
Coast Guard
Coast Guard district and 3 sectors covering Alaska, plus 9 stations, local and volunteer units. All checked against a cited source.
UTV & ATV Units
Off-road vehicles, including UTVs, ATVs and e-bikes, that move searchers and equipment and carry out injured people over rough trails.
Canine (K9)
Volunteer dog teams dispatched by the Alaska State Troopers; each team sets and runs its own certification
Drone / UAS
State drone law: AS 18.65.900-.909. 4 agency, university and volunteer drone resources listed, each checked against a published source in October or November 2026.
Swiftwater & Flood Rescue
Teams that search for and rescue people and animals in swiftwater and floods, from shore and by boat.
Communication
National SAR and interoperability channels from the NIFOG, plus 3 state, local and volunteer radio systems and groups. All checked against official sources.
Mantracking
Trackers who find and follow a missing person’s footprints and other sign on the ground.
Cell Phone Forensics
Kelsey Smith Act law: none (2024 bill not enacted). 5 agencies and resources listed. All checked against official sources.
Federal lands (Forest Service and National Park Service)
Federal land managerFederal land agencies whose staff support searches on national forests, grasslands and parks.
Dive & Under Water
5 public safety and volunteer dive teams listed, each checked against a cited source.
State Parks
State agencyThe state park system, whose staff know park terrain and trails and support searches on park land.
USAR (FEMA / State)
No FEMA or state task force is based in Alaska; federal teams come through FEMA. The Anchorage Fire Department has a local Urban Search and Rescue team (see the directory).
Marine & Boating Law Enforcement
State boating agencyOfficers and boats on lakes, rivers and coastal waters who respond to boating emergencies and support water searches.
Cave & Mine Rescue
Volunteer specialistsSpecialists for rescues in caves and mines, where rope work, tight passages and communications make ordinary rescue methods hard.
Borough and census area directory
The local law enforcement agency for each borough. Who leads a search varies by state; see the top of this page. For an emergency, call 911.
All 30 phone numbers verified (2026-10) against the agency’s own site, a government directory, or a sheriffs’ association or IACP directory; each “Verified” link shows the source. For an emergency, call 911.
| Jurisdiction | Agency | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Aleutians East Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 451-5100 AST non-emergency dispatch, Interior & Western Alaska · Verified |
| Aleutians West Census Area | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 451-5100 AST non-emergency dispatch, Interior & Western Alaska · Verified |
| Municipality of Anchorage | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 375-6440 AST Anchorage service unit. Inside the Municipality, Anchorage Police take missing-person reports: (907) 786-8900 · Verified |
| Bethel Census Area | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 543-2294 AST Bethel post · Verified |
| Bristol Bay Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 246-3464 AST King Salmon post · Verified |
| Chugach Census Area | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 352-5401 AST non-emergency dispatch, Mat-Su & Copper Valley · Verified |
| Copper River Census Area | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 822-3263 AST Glennallen post · Verified |
| Denali Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 683-2232 AST Healy post · Verified |
| Dillingham Census Area | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 842-5641 AST Dillingham post · Verified |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 451-5100 AST Fairbanks post and Interior dispatch · Verified |
| Haines Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 262-4453 AST non-emergency dispatch, Kenai Peninsula & Southeast · Verified |
| Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 262-4453 AST non-emergency dispatch, Kenai Peninsula & Southeast · Verified |
| City and Borough of Juneau | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 465-4000 AST Juneau post. Juneau Police take missing-person reports in the borough: (907) 586-0600 · Verified |
| Kenai Peninsula Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 262-4453 AST Soldotna post / Kenai & Southeast dispatch · Verified |
| Ketchikan Gateway Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 225-5118 AST Ketchikan post · Verified |
| Kodiak Island Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 486-4121 AST Kodiak post · Verified |
| Kusilvak Census Area | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 438-2019 AST St. Mary’s post · Verified |
| Lake and Peninsula Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 246-3464 AST King Salmon post · Verified |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 745-2131 AST Palmer post · Verified |
| Nome Census Area | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 443-2835 AST Nome post · Verified |
| North Slope Borough | North Slope Borough Police Department (borough-wide; Troopers lead SAR statewide) | (907) 852-6111 NSB Police 24-hour dispatch; Trooper dispatch (907) 451-5100 · Verified |
| Northwest Arctic Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 442-3222 AST Kotzebue post · Verified |
| Petersburg Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 262-4453 AST non-emergency dispatch, Kenai Peninsula & Southeast · Verified |
| Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 826-2918 AST Prince of Wales post · Verified |
| City and Borough of Sitka | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 262-4453 AST non-emergency dispatch, Kenai Peninsula & Southeast · Verified |
| Municipality of Skagway Borough | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 262-4453 AST non-emergency dispatch, Kenai Peninsula & Southeast · Verified |
| Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 883-5111 AST Tok post (Delta Junction 907-895-4800) · Verified |
| City and Borough of Wrangell | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 262-4453 AST non-emergency dispatch, Kenai Peninsula & Southeast · Verified |
| City and Borough of Yakutat | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 262-4453 AST non-emergency dispatch, Kenai Peninsula & Southeast · Verified |
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | Alaska State Troopers (statewide SAR lead) | (907) 656-1233 AST Galena post · Verified |