Guam Search and Rescue: Who Leads & How to Request Help

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Guam Search and Rescue

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

Emergency: call 911. State contact: Guam Homeland Security / Office of Civil Defense (671) 475-9600 (main line); 24/7 Watch Desk (671) 478-0289/90. How a state request works ↓

Requesting state help in Guam

Guam law gives the Office of Civil Defense (part of Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, GHS/OCD) the job of carrying out civil defense functions, which the statute lists as including rescue, firefighting, medical services and evacuation. The law does not use the phrase search and rescue and no law names a single land SAR lead agency.

State contactGuam Homeland Security / Office of Civil Defense (671) 475-9600 (main line); 24/7 Watch Desk (671) 478-0289/90.

Want to write the request out before you call? Use the request builder. Official agency: Guam Homeland Security / OCD ↗.

Key numbers

Only figures with a published source.

18Discipline directories

BluePrintSAR resource pages for Guam (below).

How search and rescue is requested in Guam

Step 1In an emergency call 911.
Step 2On land, 911 sends the Guam Fire Department and Guam Police Department. When the agency in charge needs territory-level support, it contacts GHS/OCD at (671) 475-9600 (24/7 Watch Desk (671) 478-0289/90), which holds the civil defense role under Guam law.
Step 3For a person in distress at sea or on the coast, call 911, VHF-FM Channel 16, or the U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam Joint Rescue Sub-Center, 24/7, at (671) 355-4824 or toll-free (877) 418-0168.
Step 4Federal and military support at sea (for example U.S. Navy HSC-25 helicopters) is arranged through the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Sub-Center. When a disaster exceeds Guam’s resources, GHS/OCD can ask other states and territories for help through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC; Guam is a member) and ask for federal help through FEMA Region 9.

Law and authority

10 GCA Chapter 65 – Guam Civil Defense Act (§ 65102, § 65103, § 65108, § 65121)

Lists rescue among civil defense functions (§ 65102); creates the Office of Civil Defense under an Administrator who works under the Governor’s direction and cooperates with the federal armed forces (§ 65103); lets the Director of Civil Defense set up mutual-aid arrangements within Guam and with other territories or states (§ 65108); and requires an all-hazards Guam Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, reviewed and exercised at least yearly (§ 65121).

Read the source ↗

State plans and guidelines

Guam law (10 GCA § 65121) requires the Office of Civil Defense, with Guam Homeland Security, to keep an all-hazards Guam Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and to review and exercise it at least once a year. No separate Guam SAR plan or discipline guidelines are listed.

Resources by discipline

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

Listed in BluePrintSAR directories for Guam

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.

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Aviation (USCG / JRM Helicopters)

Guam depends on federal aircraft: Navy HSC-25 MH-60S helicopters at Andersen AFB respond to Coast Guard Sector Guam requests.

How to request

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

Standards and policy

There is no Guam standard for SAR aircrews; rescue crews are Navy and Coast Guard personnel under their own service training.

Guam Aviation (USCG / JRM Helicopters) directory

Canine (K9)

No territorial SAR dog certification or resident team; mainland teams are requested through emergency management

How to request

On Guam, call 911 for emergencies on land.

Standards and policy

There is no territorial SAR dog standard. Mainland teams brought in would carry their own certification (for example FEMA US&R canine or NASAR/ARDA).

Guam 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 Guam

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. Guam is not assigned to an NCRC region on the commission’s staff page; contact the National Coordinator. 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 National 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.

Guam Cave & Limestone Karst Rescue directory NCRC about ↗ NCRC regional coordinators ↗ MSHA emergency contact ↗

Cell Phone Forensics

Kelsey Smith Act law: none found. 4 agencies and resources listed. All checked against official sources.

How to request

In Guam, 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.

Guam Cell Phone Forensics directory

Coast Guard

The Coast Guard district and sector covering Guam, Station Apra Harbor, Guam-based cutters and the volunteer Auxiliary flotilla. All checked against official sources.

How to request

In Guam, 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.

Guam Coast Guard directory

Communication

National SAR and interoperability channels from the NIFOG. Also lists ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), whose volunteers support agencies under a written agreement between ARRL and FEMA.

How to request

In Guam, 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.

Guam Communication directory

Dive & Underwater

Guam Fire Department divers carry out underwater searches and recoveries on Guam; Coast Guard boats and Navy helicopters support offshore searches.

How to request

In Guam, 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.

Guam Dive & Underwater directory

Drone / UAS

No Guam statute specifically governs government drone use; FAA rules and agency policy apply. The Guam Fire Department flies drones in searches; agencies are listed in the directory, each checked against a published source.

How to request

In Guam, 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.

Guam Drone / UAS directory

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 Guam

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

How to request

The Governor activates the Guam National Guard. Outside the continental U.S., military and Coast Guard aviation for SAR is coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard. For Guam that is Joint Rescue Sub-Center Guam, (671) 355-4824 or (877) 418-0168, a sub-center of JRCC Honolulu (Oceania District Command Center, 24x7, 1-800-331-6176).

Standards and policy

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

Guam National Guard directory Guam National Guard (official) ↗ State Guard websites (National Guard Bureau) ↗ Guam Homeland Security / OCD ↗

Mantracking

Guam Fire Department

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

Who provides it in Guam

No dedicated tracking team is listed for Guam. Guam Fire Department crews carry out most on-land searches on Guam (U.S. Coast Guard, March 2023).

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.

Guam 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 Guam

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators lists Guam Police Department as Guam’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).

Guam Marine / GPD Conservation directory Guam Police Department ↗ NASBLA Guam boating contacts ↗ State boating laws (USCG Boating Safety) ↗

Police & Fire Law Enforcement

How to request

In an emergency call 911.

Standards and policy

No territorial SAR member certification

Guam Police & Fire Law Enforcement directory

Territorial Parks

Territorial agency

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

Who provides it in Guam

The Guam Department of Parks and Recreation manages about 53 public parks and beaches and protects Guam’s historic sites.

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 are set by the Department of Parks and Recreation; see its website.

Guam Parks & Recreation directory Guam Department of Parks and Recreation ↗

Swiftwater & Flood Rescue

Guam Fire Department

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

Who provides it in Guam

No separate swiftwater or flood team is listed for Guam. The Guam Fire Department launches local water searches and its divers carry out underwater searches and recoveries (U.S. Coast Guard, October 2025; Guam Daily Post, 2024).

How to request

The agency with jurisdiction requests water rescue through 911 dispatch. When local teams are exceeded, help is requested through Guam Homeland Security / OCD.

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.

Guam Swiftwater / River Valley Rescue directory FEMA Swiftwater/Flood SAR Team definition ↗ Guam Homeland Security / OCD ↗

Technical Mountain Rescue

Guam Fire Department

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

Who provides it in Guam

No Mountain Rescue Association member team is based in Guam (MRA team lists). No other rope rescue team is listed. Guam Fire Department crews carry out most on-land searches and have trained with Coast Guard MH-65 crews on helicopter hoist rescue (U.S. Coast Guard, March 2023).

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 Guam Homeland Security / OCD.

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.

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

USAR (FEMA / Territorial Task Force)

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

How to request

In Guam, the Guam Fire Department handles collapse and heavy rescue first. When local resources run short, the agency in charge asks Guam Homeland Security / OCD, which can request teams from states through EMAC or FEMA US&R task forces through FEMA Region 9.

Standards and policy

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

Guam USAR (FEMA / Territorial 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 Guam

Guam has no national forest or grassland on the Forest Service’s list. The National Park Service lists 1 park site in Guam.

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.

Guam Federal Wildlife & Protected Lands directory NPS sites in Guam ↗ NPS SAR policy excerpt ↗

UTV & ATV Units

Agency-run

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 Guam

No UTV or ATV search unit is listed for Guam.

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.

Guam UTV & ATV / Off-Road Units directory FEMA Land SAR Team definition ↗

Local law enforcement

Guam has no counties or sheriffs; the Guam Police Department is the island-wide law enforcement agency. See the top of this page for who leads searches. For an emergency, call 911.

All 1 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
Guam	Guam Police Department	(671) 472-8911 GPD headquarters main line · Verified

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Guam State SAR