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Delaware State SAR

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Delaware Search and Rescue

Who leads searches in Delaware, how agencies request state help, and the resources behind them. Verified items link to their source. Reviewed October 2026.

Emergency: call 911. State contact: DEMA (302) 659-3362 or (877) 729-3362 · No 24-hour SAR line published. How a state request works ↓

Requesting state help in Delaware

No Delaware statute assigns search and rescue to a specific agency, and Delaware has no state SAR plan or ESF 9 annex posted online. Delaware's county sheriffs do not lead SAR: a 2012 state law bars sheriffs and deputies from making arrests (upheld by the Delaware Supreme Court in 2013), and their role is mainly civil.

  1. State contactDEMA (302) 659-3362 or (877) 729-3362 · No 24-hour SAR line published.
  2. Requesting state resourcesIn an emergency call 911. The police agency with jurisdiction (State Police or local police) handles missing person reports and searches; fire companies handle many rescues.

Want to write the request out before you call? Use the request builder. Official agency: DEMA ↗.

Key numbers

Only figures with a published source.

3counties

U.S. Census Bureau boundaries.

U.S. Census Bureau ↗

18Discipline directories

BluePrintSAR resource pages for Delaware (below).

How search and rescue is requested in Delaware

  1. Step 1In an emergency call 911. The police agency with jurisdiction (State Police or local police) handles missing person reports and searches; fire companies handle many rescues.
  2. Step 2Delaware State Police can provide aviation (including hoist rescue), K-9 and underwater recovery support.
  3. Step 3In state parks, the DNREC Natural Resources Police State Park Unit dispatch is (302) 739-4580. For boating and wildlife areas, the Fish and Wildlife Unit line is (800) 523-3336.
  4. Step 4When a county needs more than it has, the county asks the state through DEMA by phone or radio (302-659-3362).
  5. Step 5If Delaware cannot meet the need, DEMA asks the Federal Emergency Management Agency or other states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. On tidal waters the U.S. Coast Guard coordinates maritime SAR.

Law and authority

20 Del. C. ch. 31, subch. II (§§ 3105–3109), Delaware Emergency Management Agency

DEMA's authority to prepare the state emergency plan and coordinate state response. Does not mention search and rescue.

Read the source ↗

20 Del. C. § 3129, Immunity from civil liability

The state, counties and towns are not liable for death, injury or damage during emergency management activities unless intentional or in wilful or wanton disregard of others' rights. Also covers qualified medical personnel in disaster relief and contractors. Workers' compensation rights are kept. Does not clearly cover unpaid volunteers outside a contract.

Read the source ↗

20 Del. C. ch. 34, Emergency Management Assistance Compact

Interstate mutual aid during a declared emergency; lists search and rescue as a type of assistance states can share.

Read the source ↗

State plans and guidelines

Official plans, annexes and program documents for Delaware.

Resources by discipline

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

Listed in BluePrintSAR directories for Delaware

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.

Aviation (DSP Aviation)

The Delaware State Police Aviation Section flies four Bell 429 hoist-equipped helicopters around the clock from Middletown and Georgetown; the Army National Guard, Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard add search, airlift and over-water coverage.

How to request

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

Standards and policy

No Delaware statute or rule sets SAR aircrew standards. Delaware State Police flies two-person pilot and trooper-paramedic crews under its own agency policy; National Guard crews train to Army standards; CAP aircrews follow CAP national regulations.

Delaware Aviation (DSP Aviation) directory

Canine (K9)

Police K-9 teams are standardized by the Council on Police Training; no state SAR dog certification for volunteers

How to request

In Delaware the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over where the person was last seen owns the case and requests search dogs.

Standards and policy

Delaware police K-9 programs follow standards approved by the Delaware Council on Police Training (1 Del. Admin. Code 802-3.0). The rule does not name tracking, cadaver or SAR disciplines or a recertification interval. Delaware State Police and county and city teams have certified through the NPCA national certification. There is no state certification for volunteer SAR dogs.

Delaware Canine (K9) directory

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 Delaware

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. Delaware is in the NCRC Eastern 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.

Delaware Cave & Mine Rescue directory NCRC about ↗ NCRC regional coordinators ↗ MSHA emergency contact ↗

Cell Phone Forensics

Kelsey Smith Act law: yes (signed August 7, 2015). 5 agencies and resources listed. All checked against official sources.

How to request

In Delaware, 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.

Delaware Cell Phone Forensics directory

Coast Guard

Coast Guard district and 1 sector covering Delaware, plus 7 stations, local and volunteer units. All checked against a cited source.

How to request

In Delaware, 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.

Delaware Coast Guard directory

Communication

National SAR and interoperability channels from the NIFOG, plus 4 state, local and volunteer radio systems and groups. All checked against official sources.

How to request

In Delaware, 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.

Delaware Communication directory

Dive & Underwater

3 public safety dive and water units listed, each checked against a cited source.

How to request

In Delaware, 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.

Delaware Dive & Underwater directory

Drone / UAS

State drone law: 11 Del. C. 1334. 2 agency and volunteer drone programs listed, each checked against a published source in October or November 2026.

How to request

In Delaware, 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.

Delaware Drone / UAS directory

Law Enforcement / State Police

No Delaware statute assigns search and rescue to a specific agency, and Delaware has no state SAR plan or ESF 9 annex posted online.

How to request

In an emergency call 911. The police agency with jurisdiction (State Police or local police) handles missing person reports and searches; fire companies handle many rescues.

Standards and policy

No statewide SAR certification

Delaware Law Enforcement / State Police directory

Mantracking

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

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 NIMS resource typing defines a Land Search and Rescue (SAR) Team (8-508-1173).

Delaware Mantracking directory ASTM F2852 (tracker training) ↗ FEMA Land SAR Team definition ↗

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 Delaware

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators lists Delaware DNR & Environmental Control as Delaware’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. On coastal waters and the Great Lakes, the U.S. Coast Guard coordinates maritime search and rescue.

Standards and policy

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

Delaware Marine / DNREC EnCon Police directory Delaware DNR & Environmental Control ↗ NASBLA Delaware boating contacts ↗ State boating laws (USCG Boating Safety) ↗

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 Delaware

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

How to request

The agency with jurisdiction requests it through DEMA. 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.

Delaware National Guard directory Delaware National Guard (official) ↗ State Guard websites (National Guard Bureau) ↗ DEMA ↗ Helicopter extraction source list (NWCG PMS 512) ↗

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 Delaware

Delaware State Parks.

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.

Delaware State Parks & DNREC directory Delaware State Parks (official) ↗ State park directory (America’s State Parks) ↗

Swiftwater & Flood Rescue

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

Who provides it in Delaware

DEMA funds boats and training for the Wilmington Fire Department, New Castle County and Kent County swift water rescue teams, with trained personnel in Smyrna (DEMA, September 2024).

How to request

The agency with jurisdiction requests water rescue through 911 dispatch. When local teams are exceeded, help is requested through DEMA.

Standards and policy

FEMA’s NIMS resource typing defines a Swiftwater/Flood Search and Rescue Team (8-508-1020).

Delaware Swiftwater directory FEMA Swiftwater/Flood SAR Team definition ↗ DEMA ↗

Technical Mountain Rescue

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

Who provides it in Delaware

No Mountain Rescue Association member team is based in Delaware (MRA team lists).

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 DEMA.

Standards and policy

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

Delaware Technical Rescue directory MRA teams by region ↗ FEMA Mountain SAR Team definition ↗

USAR (State Task Force)

No FEMA task force is based in Delaware; federal teams come through FEMA.

How to request

In Delaware, 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.

Delaware USAR (State Task Force) directory

Federal lands (National Park Service)

Federal land manager

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

Who provides it in Delaware

Delaware has no national forest or grassland on the Forest Service’s list. The National Park Service lists 4 park sites in Delaware.

How to request

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.

Delaware Federal Lands / USFWS directory NPS sites in Delaware ↗ NPS SAR policy excerpt ↗

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.

How to request

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

Standards and policy

FEMA’s NIMS resource typing defines a Land Search and Rescue (SAR) Team (8-508-1173).

Delaware UTV & ATV Units directory FEMA Land SAR Team definition ↗

3-county directory

Selected police contacts by county: State Police troop offices in Kent and Sussex, and County Police non-emergency dispatch in New Castle. Other troops and municipal departments also serve these counties. For an emergency, call 911.

All three listed numbers match the State Police locations page or New Castle County Police contact page, checked October 24, 2026. “Contact source” links support these contact details.

JurisdictionAgencyPhone
Kent CountyDelaware State Police, Troop 3 (Camden)(302) 697-4454
troop office · Contact source
New Castle CountyNew Castle County Police Department(302) 573-2800
non-emergency police dispatch · Contact source
Sussex CountyDelaware State Police, Troop 4 (Georgetown)(302) 856-5850
troop office · Contact source
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