Arkansas State SAR

Arkansas Search and Rescue

Who leads searches in Arkansas, how agencies request state help, and the resources behind them. Each item links to its source. Reviewed November 2026.

Emergency: call 911. State contact: ADEM office 501-683-6700 · Hazardous-materials release notification line 1-800-322-4012 (as listed by Arkansas Energy and Environment for ADEM; not a SAR line). How a state request works ↓

Requesting state help in Arkansas

No Arkansas statute names one agency in charge of search and rescue. In practice the local jurisdiction where the person is missing leads: the county sheriff or city police, often with the county Office of Emergency Management, which runs some volunteer SAR teams (for example, Pope County).

  1. State contactADEM office 501-683-6700 · Hazardous-materials release notification line 1-800-322-4012 (as listed by Arkansas Energy and Environment for ADEM; not a SAR line).
  2. Requesting state resourcesIn an emergency call 911. Agencies needing SAR contact the county sheriff or local police and the county Office of Emergency Management where the person is missing.

Want to write the request out before you call? Use the request builder. Official agency: Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) ↗.

Key numbers

Only figures with a published source.

75counties

U.S. Census Bureau boundaries.

U.S. Census Bureau ↗

18Discipline directories

BluePrintSAR resource pages for Arkansas (below).

How search and rescue is requested in Arkansas

  1. Step 1In an emergency call 911. Agencies needing SAR contact the county sheriff or local police and the county Office of Emergency Management where the person is missing.
  2. Step 2Local agencies use their own resources and local mutual aid first. All state and federal mutual aid requests go through the State Emergency Operations Center after local resources are used up.
  3. Step 3The county OEM contacts ADEM (office 501-683-6700). The State Missing Person SAR Mission Coordinator or State K9 Coordinator and ADEM staff pick and notify teams from the state call-out lists.
  4. Step 4Under the state aviation plan, air search is coordinated by the Arkansas Division of Aeronautics (the former Department of Aeronautics, now part of the Department of Commerce) with the Civil Air Patrol and other state aircraft.

Law and authority

Arkansas Emergency Services Act of 1973 (Ark. Code § 12-75-101 et seq.)

General emergency management law under which ADEM and the state plan operate. § 12-75-128 protects emergency responders from liability except for willful misconduct, gross negligence or bad faith.

Read the source ↗

Ark. Code § 12-75-129 Emergency responders – workers' compensation

Emergency responders enrolled with a local emergency management office or ADEM, and acting under the order or request of the Governor, ADEM or a local chief executive, are treated as state or local employees for workers' compensation.

Read the source ↗

Ark. Code § 12-75-119 Statewide mutual aid system

Statewide mutual aid among Arkansas jurisdictions.

Read the source ↗

State plans and guidelines

Official plans, annexes and program documents for Arkansas.

Resources by discipline

What each resource does, how it is requested in Arkansas, and the standards that apply.

Listed in BluePrintSAR directories for Arkansas

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 / Law Enforcement

No Arkansas statute names one agency in charge of search and rescue.

How to request

In an emergency call 911. Agencies needing SAR contact the county sheriff or local police and the county Office of Emergency Management where the person is missing.

Standards and policy

No state certification required to search. Teams and dog handlers must meet ADEM State SAR Committee minimum standards to be on the state call-out lists

Cave & Mine Rescue

Volunteer specialists

Specialists for rescues in caves and mines, where rope work, tight passages and communications make ordinary rescue methods hard.

Who provides it in Arkansas

Cave rescuers serve on local rescue squads and cave rescue groups. The National Cave Rescue Commission (part of the National Speleological Society) trains them and tracks cave rescue resources and specialized equipment. Arkansas is in the NCRC South Central Region. Accidents at working mines fall under the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.

How to request

Call 911. The agency with jurisdiction requests cave rescuers and can reach the NCRC regional coordinator listed on the NCRC staff page. Report an accident at a working mine to MSHA at 1-800-746-1553.

Standards and policy

NCRC national cave rescue curriculum: Orientation to Cave Rescue, Level 1 Team Member and Level 2 Team Leader.

Canine (K9)

ADEM K9 standards and State K9 Resource Call Out list; national bodies (NASAR, IPWDA, NAPWDA, NSDA, AERIE, SUSAR, FEMA) certify the dogs

How to request

In Arkansas, agencies request canine teams through ADEM.

Standards and policy

The ADEM K9 Standards (approved Feb. 1, 2017) are required to be on the state K9 call-out list, not to work locally. Dogs must hold a national certification from a listed body; handlers need SAR Tech II or equivalent and NIMS training. The standard sets no recertification interval; it requires all certifications to be kept current and on file with the Team Lead.

Swiftwater & Flood Rescue

State program

Teams that search for and rescue people and animals in swiftwater and floods, from shore and by boat.

Who provides it in Arkansas

The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management works with Arkansas Task Force One, which fields swift water search and rescue teams for state and mutual aid deployments.

How to request

The agency with jurisdiction requests water rescue through 911 dispatch. When local teams are exceeded, help is requested through Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM).

Standards and policy

FEMA’s NIMS resource typing defines a Swiftwater/Flood Search and Rescue Team (8-508-1020), which provides shore-based and boat-based water rescue, basic life support and animal rescue.

Drone / UAS

State drone law: A.C.A. 27-118-101 (added by Act 597 of 2025). 3 agency and volunteer drone programs listed, each linked to a published source.

How to request

In Arkansas, drone teams are requested by the agency running the search.

Standards and policy

Part 107 pilots complete FAA recurrent training every 24 months; agency programs set their own proficiency standards.

UTV & ATV Units

Local agencies

Off-road vehicles, including UTVs, ATVs and e-bikes, that move searchers and equipment and carry out injured people over rough trails.

Who provides it in Arkansas

Ask the county sheriff or Office of Emergency Management running the search; see who leads searches above and the directory below.

How to request

The agency running the search requests vehicle units; see who leads searches above.

Standards and policy

FEMA’s Land SAR Team typing (8-508-1173) includes ground vehicles for support, transportation and evacuation in land and wilderness searches.

Dive & Under Water

4 public safety dive and water units listed, each checked against agency pages or news reports.

How to request

In Arkansas, start with the agency running the search.

Standards and policy

Public safety dive teams commonly train to NFPA 1006 (technical rescue personnel qualifications), which covers dive rescue; each team’s sponsoring agency sets its own certification requirements.

Federal lands (Forest Service and National Park Service)

Federal land manager

Federal land agencies whose staff support searches on national forests, grasslands and parks.

Who provides it in Arkansas

National forests and grasslands in Arkansas on the Forest Service’s list: Ouachita National Forest; Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. The National Park Service lists 9 park sites in Arkansas.

How to request

Searches on national forest land are led by the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction (in most states, the county sheriff), with the Forest Service supporting under cooperative agreements. In a national park, call 911 or the park’s emergency line; the NPS will make reasonable efforts to search for lost persons, using its own staff or partner SAR organizations under formal agreements.

Standards and policy

NPS Management Policies 2006, §8.2.5.3: SAR runs under the Incident Command System and visitors are not charged for it.

State Parks

State agency

The state park system, whose staff know park terrain and trails and support searches on park land.

Who provides it in Arkansas

Arkansas State Parks. The National Association of State Park Directors lists this as the official park-system website.

How to request

For an emergency in a park, call 911. Park staff support the agency with jurisdiction; see who leads searches at the top of this page.

Standards and policy

Park rules and staff authority are set by the state park agency; see its website.

Aviation (ASP)

Local agencies request state help through the Division of Emergency Management; the State Police Air Support Unit, Guard Black Hawks with the Arkansas Helicopter Rescue Team, Civil Air Patrol and several sheriff air units fly searches and rescues.

How to request

In Arkansas, aircraft are requested by the agency running the search.

Standards and policy

No state statute or rule sets search and rescue aircrew qualifications, and the 2014 aviation search and rescue annex does not specify them. The Arkansas Helicopter Rescue Team (Guard hoist crews with urban search and rescue task force rescuers) reports routine monthly training with each task force; Benton County Sheriff pilots hold night vision goggle certification and fly under FAA Part 91; Civil Air Patrol uses its national qualifications.

Communication

National SAR and interoperability channels from the NIFOG, plus 3 state, local and volunteer radio systems and groups. All checked against official sources.

How to request

In Arkansas, the agency running the search sets the radio plan.

Standards and policy

Communications unit leaders (COML) and technicians (COMT) train through CISA courses and state credentialing; volunteers hold FCC amateur licenses.

Cell Phone Forensics

Kelsey Smith Act law: yes (signed March 13, 2015). 5 agencies and resources listed. All checked against official sources.

How to request

In Arkansas, only the law enforcement agency running the search can ask a carrier for a phone's location.

Standards and policy

There is no single national certification for cell phone analysis in searches; agencies and labs set their own training requirements.

Technical Mountain Rescue

Local agencies

Teams for steep, high-angle and alpine terrain that use rope systems to reach and evacuate people.

Who provides it in Arkansas

No Mountain Rescue Association member team is based in Arkansas (MRA team lists). Ask the county sheriff or Office of Emergency Management running the search for rope rescue resources; see the directory.

How to request

The agency with jurisdiction requests the team, usually through 911 dispatch; see who leads searches above. Help from outside the area is requested through Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM).

Standards and policy

FEMA’s NIMS resource typing defines a Mountain Search and Rescue Team (8-508-1171) for low mountain, mountain and alpine environments. The MRA lists member teams by region with their membership status.

Mantracking

Local agencies

Trackers who find and follow a missing person’s footprints and other sign on the ground.

Who provides it in Arkansas

Ask the county sheriff or Office of Emergency Management running the search; see who leads searches above and the directory below.

How to request

The agency running the search requests trackers, usually alongside ground search teams; see who leads searches above.

Standards and policy

ASTM F2852, Standard Practice for Training a Land Search Tracker, sets minimum training for trackers supporting a land search. FEMA’s Land SAR Team typing (8-508-1173) references ASTM F2209 for land search team members.

Marine & Boating Law Enforcement

State boating agency

Officers and boats on lakes, rivers and coastal waters who respond to boating emergencies and support water searches.

Who provides it in Arkansas

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators lists Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as Arkansas’s boating law agency (boating safety, enforcement and registration).

How to request

Call 911 for a water emergency; the agency with jurisdiction requests marine units through dispatch.

Standards and policy

State boating laws. NASBLA promotes uniform state boating laws and their enforcement (U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division).

USAR (FEMA / State)

Arkansas Task Force One and its two regional teams listed, with how to request them.

How to request

In Arkansas, US&R teams are requested by the agency in charge of the incident, through the state emergency management agency when local resources run short.

Standards and policy

FEMA task forces train to FEMA and NFPA standards; state and regional teams follow the standards their sponsor sets.

National Guard

Governor-activated

Military helicopters and personnel for hoist rescue, aerial search and ground support when civilian resources can’t do the job.

Who provides it in Arkansas

The Arkansas National Guard (Army and Air), activated in state status by the Governor.

How to request

The agency with jurisdiction requests it through Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM). NWCG’s helicopter extraction list directs 911 and dispatch centers to coordinate requests for military, Coast Guard and National Guard aircraft through the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) at 800-851-3051.

Standards and policy

State active duty under the Governor’s authority; Guard aircraft used for SAR are coordinated with the rescue coordination center.

Coast Guard

Coast Guard district and 1 sector covering Arkansas, two river buoy tenders and a Fort Smith marine safety office, plus state, federal and volunteer units. Each checked against a cited source.

How to request

In Arkansas, call 911 or VHF-FM Channel 16 for a maritime emergency.

Standards and policy

Coast Guard and Auxiliary crews qualify under Coast Guard training programs; local marine units follow the standards their agency sets.

75-county directory

Each county and its sheriff’s office. Who leads a search varies by state; see the top of this page. For an emergency, call 911.

Published sheriff office and non-emergency contacts checked against county or agency pages and the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory in October 2026. Each “Verified” link shows the source for that number. Office contacts are not all 24-hour dispatch lines; confirm their purpose and hours with the agency.

JurisdictionAgencyPhone
Arkansas CountyArkansas County Sheriff’s Office(870) 659-2060
South District 24-hour phone (North District 870-659-2066) · Verified
Ashley CountyAshley County Sheriff’s Office(870) 853-2040
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Baxter CountyBaxter County Sheriff’s Office(870) 425-7000
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Benton CountyBenton County Sheriff’s Office(479) 271-1008
sheriff’s office phone (official sheriff site) · Verified
Boone CountyBoone County Sheriff’s Office(870) 741-8404
24-hour non-emergency line (official sheriff site) · Verified
Bradley CountyBradley County Sheriff’s Office(870) 226-3491
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Calhoun CountyCalhoun County Sheriff’s Office(870) 798-2323
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Carroll CountyCarroll County Sheriff’s Office(870) 423-2901
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Chicot CountyChicot County Sheriff’s Office(870) 265-8020
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Clark CountyClark County Sheriff’s Office(870) 246-2222
sheriff’s office phone (office Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) · Verified
Clay CountyClay County Sheriff’s Office(870) 598-2270
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Cleburne CountyCleburne County Sheriff’s Office(501) 362-8143
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Cleveland CountyCleveland County Sheriff’s Office(870) 325-6222
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Columbia CountyColumbia County Sheriff’s Office(870) 235-5655
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Conway CountyConway County Sheriff’s Office(501) 354-2411
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Craighead CountyCraighead County Sheriff’s Office(870) 933-4551
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Crawford CountyCrawford County Sheriff’s Office(479) 474-2261
published sheriff’s department phone (contact page; administration 479-474-2581) · Verified
Crittenden CountyCrittenden County Sheriff’s Office(870) 702-2010
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Cross CountyCross County Sheriff’s Office(870) 238-5700
24-hour non-emergency line (official sheriff site) · Verified
Dallas CountyDallas County Sheriff’s Office(870) 352-2002
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Desha CountyDesha County Sheriff’s Office(870) 877-2580
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Drew CountyDrew County Sheriff’s Office(870) 367-6211
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Faulkner CountyFaulkner County Sheriff’s Office(501) 450-4914
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Franklin CountyFranklin County Sheriff’s Office(479) 667-4127
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Fulton CountyFulton County Sheriff’s Office(870) 895-2601
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Garland CountyGarland County Sheriff’s Office(501) 622-3660
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Grant CountyGrant County Sheriff’s Office(870) 942-5039
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Greene CountyGreene County Sheriff’s Office(870) 239-6343
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Hempstead CountyHempstead County Sheriff’s Office(870) 777-6727
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Hot Spring CountyHot Spring County Sheriff’s Office(501) 332-3671
county sheriff office phone (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) · Verified
Howard CountyHoward County Sheriff’s Office(870) 845-2626
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Independence CountyIndependence County Sheriff’s Office(870) 793-8838
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Izard CountyIzard County Sheriff’s Office(870) 368-4203
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Jackson CountyJackson County Sheriff’s Office(870) 523-5842
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Jefferson CountyJefferson County Sheriff’s Office(870) 541-5351
sheriff’s office phone (county sheriff page) · Verified
Johnson CountyJohnson County Sheriff’s Office(479) 754-7724
sheriff’s office number (county directory; detention listed separately) · Verified
Lafayette CountyLafayette County Sheriff’s Office(870) 921-4258
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Lawrence CountyLawrence County Sheriff’s Office(870) 886-2525
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Lee CountyLee County Sheriff’s Office(870) 295-7775
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Lincoln CountyLincoln County Sheriff’s Office(870) 628-4271
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Little River CountyLittle River County Sheriff’s Office(870) 898-5115
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Logan CountyLogan County Sheriff’s Office(479) 963-3271
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Lonoke CountyLonoke County Sheriff’s Office(501) 676-3001
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Madison CountyMadison County Sheriff’s Office(479) 738-2320
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Marion CountyMarion County Sheriff’s Office(870) 449-4236
24-hour non-emergency line (official sheriff site) · Verified
Miller CountyMiller County Sheriff’s Office(870) 774-3001
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Mississippi CountyMississippi County Sheriff’s Office(870) 658-2243
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Monroe CountyMonroe County Sheriff’s Office(870) 747-3811
24-hour non-emergency line (official sheriff site) · Verified
Montgomery CountyMontgomery County Sheriff’s Office(870) 867-3151
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Nevada CountyNevada County Sheriff’s Office(870) 887-2616
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Newton CountyNewton County Sheriff’s Office(870) 446-5124
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Ouachita CountyOuachita County Sheriff’s Office(870) 231-5300
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Perry CountyPerry County Sheriff’s Office(501) 889-3309
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Phillips CountyPhillips County Sheriff’s Office(870) 338-5555
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Pike CountyPike County Sheriff’s Office(870) 285-3315
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Poinsett CountyPoinsett County Sheriff’s Office(870) 578-5411
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Polk CountyPolk County Sheriff’s Office(479) 394-2511
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Pope CountyPope County Sheriff’s Office(479) 968-2558
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Prairie CountyPrairie County Sheriff’s Office(870) 256-4137
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Pulaski CountyPulaski County Sheriff’s Office(501) 340-6930
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Randolph CountyRandolph County Sheriff’s Office(870) 892-8888
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Saline CountySaline County Sheriff’s Office(501) 303-5609
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Scott CountyScott County Sheriff’s Office(479) 637-4156
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Searcy CountySearcy County Sheriff’s Office(870) 448-2340
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Sebastian CountySebastian County Sheriff’s Office(479) 783-1051
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Sevier CountySevier County Sheriff’s Office(870) 642-2125
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Sharp CountySharp County Sheriff’s Office(870) 994-7356
sheriff’s office phone; dispatch 870-994-2211 (detention listed separately) · Verified
St. Francis CountySt. Francis County Sheriff’s Office(870) 633-2611
24-hour non-emergency line (official sheriff site) · Verified
Stone CountyStone County Sheriff’s Office(870) 269-3825
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Union CountyUnion County Sheriff’s Office(870) 864-1970
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Van Buren CountyVan Buren County Sheriff’s Office(501) 745-2112
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Washington CountyWashington County Sheriff’s Office(479) 444-5700
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
White CountyWhite County Sheriff’s Office(501) 279-6279
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Woodruff CountyWoodruff County Sheriff’s Office(870) 347-2583
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified
Yell CountyYell County Sheriff’s Office(479) 495-4881
sheriff’s office contact (Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association county directory) · Verified