New Hampshire Search and Rescue
Who leads searches in New Hampshire, how agencies request state help, and the resources behind them. Each item links to its source. Reviewed November 2026.
Emergency: call 911. State 24-hour contact: Fish and Game Dispatch 603-271-3361, answered 24 hours a day by NH State Police Dispatch. How a state request works ↓
Requesting state help in New Hampshire
The Fish and Game Department conducts search and rescue in woodlands and inland waters and provides security at the sites. Fish and Game Conservation Officers lead, using volunteer SAR groups they call out.
- State 24-hour contactFish and Game Dispatch 603-271-3361, answered 24 hours a day by NH State Police Dispatch.
- Requesting state resourcesFish and Game Dispatch (603-271-3361) is answered 24 hours a day by NH State Police Dispatch, which forwards calls to Conservation Officers.
Want to write the request out before you call? Use the request builder. Official agency: HSEM ↗.
Key numbers
Only figures with a published source.
BluePrintSAR resource pages for New Hampshire (below).
How search and rescue is requested in New Hampshire
- Step 1In an emergency call 911. 911 or the local police can bring in Fish and Game for lost or injured people in the woods or on inland waters.
- Step 2Fish and Game Dispatch (603-271-3361) is answered 24 hours a day by NH State Police Dispatch, which forwards calls to Conservation Officers.
- Step 3A Conservation Officer leads the search and calls out volunteer SAR groups. Volunteer groups respond only when Fish and Game (or another public safety agency) requests them, not on their own.
- Step 4In the Cutler River Drainage Area from December 1 to May 31 the US Forest Service leads, with Fish and Game.
Law and authority
Gives Fish and Game the power to conduct search and rescue operations in woodlands and inland waters, provide security at the sites, and enforce recovery of expenses under RSA 206:26-bb.
A person the department finds negligent in causing a SAR response must repay the department's reasonable expenses. Not liable if the person shows a current NH hunting or fishing license, OHRV, snowmobile or vessel registration, or a Hike Safe card, unless judged to have done an action listed in RSA 153-A:24, I.
Volunteers recognized by the Fish and Game executive director, working under a department employee's supervision on assigned duties or SAR, are treated as state employees for defense and indemnification from civil suits under RSA 99-D, except for suits arising from a criminal act.
Non-lapsing fund for department SAR operations, fed by a fee on boat, OHRV and snowmobile registrations, plus Hike Safe proceeds and recovered costs.
State plans and guidelines
Official plans, annexes and program documents for New Hampshire.
- NH Fish and Game specialty teams ↗ — Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division specialty teams, including its search and rescue capability.
Resources by discipline
What each resource does, how it is requested in New Hampshire, and the standards that apply.
Listed in BluePrintSAR directories for New Hampshire
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 (NHFG / ANG)
Fish and Game leads SAR in woodlands and inland waters and calls on New Hampshire Army Guard Black Hawks and the State Police helicopter.
Canine (K9)
Fish and Game calls out volunteer dog teams such as New England K-9 Search and Rescue and runs its own Conservation Canines; State Police K-9 teams certify to NESPAC
Cave & Mine Rescue
Volunteer specialistsSpecialists for rescues in caves and mines, where rope work, tight passages and communications make ordinary rescue methods hard.
Cell Phone Forensics
Kelsey Smith Act law: yes (signed July 13, 2010). 5 agencies and resources listed. All checked against a cited source.
Coast Guard
Coast Guard district and 1 sector covering New Hampshire, plus 6 stations, local and volunteer units. All checked against a cited source.
Communication
National SAR and interoperability channels from the NIFOG, plus 2 state, local and volunteer radio systems and groups. All checked against official sources.
Dive & Underwater
5 public safety dive and water rescue teams listed, each checked against a cited source in October 2026.
Drone / UAS
State drone law: RSA 644:23. 6 agency and volunteer drone teams listed, each checked against a published source in October 2026.
Fish and Game Conservation Officers
Lead SAR agencyThe state agency that leads search and rescue in New Hampshire’s woodlands and inland waters.
Mantracking
Trackers who find and follow a missing person’s footprints and other sign on the ground.
Marine & Boating Law Enforcement
State boating agencyOfficers and boats on lakes, rivers and coastal waters who respond to boating emergencies and support water searches.
National Guard
Governor-activatedMilitary helicopters and personnel for hoist rescue, aerial search and ground support when civilian resources can’t do the job.
State Parks
State agencyThe state park system, whose staff know park terrain and trails and support searches on park land.
Swiftwater & Flood Rescue
Teams that search for and rescue people and animals in swiftwater and floods, from shore and by boat.
Technical Mountain Rescue
Teams for steep, high-angle and alpine terrain that use rope systems to reach and evacuate people.
USAR (FEMA / State Task Force)
No FEMA task force is based in New Hampshire; federal teams come through FEMA.
Federal lands (Forest Service and National Park Service)
Federal land managerFederal land agencies whose staff support searches on national forests, grasslands and parks.
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.
10-county directory
Each county and its sheriff’s office. Who leads a search varies by state; see the top of this page. In New Hampshire, Fish and Game handles people lost in the woods or on inland waters (24/7 dispatch 603-271-3361), and town police take other missing-person reports; sheriffs do not lead these searches. For an emergency, call 911.
All 10 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Belknap County | Belknap County Sheriff’s Office | (603) 527-5454 office main line (county directory) · Verified |
| Carroll County | Carroll County Sheriff’s Office | (603) 539-2284 dispatch, non-emergency · Verified |
| Cheshire County | Cheshire County Sheriff’s Office | (603) 352-4238 police communications main line (sheriff’s office) · Verified |
| Coos County | Coos County Sheriff’s Office | (603) 788-5598 office main line (county directory) · Verified |
| Grafton County | Grafton County Sheriff’s Office | (603) 787-2111 sheriff’s office line · Verified |
| Hillsborough County | Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office | (603) 627-0169 24-hour county dispatch (also 1-800-562-8201); office 603-627-5610 · Verified |
| Merrimack County | Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office | (603) 796-6600 ext. 7 dispatch extension · Verified |
| Rockingham County | Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office | (603) 679-2225 main line and dispatch center · Verified |
| Strafford County | Strafford County Sheriff’s Office | (603) 742-4960 non-emergency · Verified |
| Sullivan County | Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office | (603) 863-4200 sheriff’s office main line · Verified |