Puerto Rico Search and Rescue: Who Leads & How to Request

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Puerto Rico Search and Rescue

Who leads searches in Puerto Rico, 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: (787) 724-0124 (main) · emergencies 9-1-1 · USCG Sector San Juan 24-hour operations center 833-453-1267. How a state request works ↓

Requesting state help in Puerto Rico

On land, the Puerto Rico Emergency Management and Disaster Administration Bureau (NMEAD, part of the Department of Public Safety) is charged by law with coordinating the Government of Puerto Rico's search and rescue efforts and working with federal agencies that do SAR. NMEAD runs its own search and rescue task group (PRUSAR); the Fire Bureau and municipal emergency management offices also carry out rescues.

State 24-hour contact(787) 724-0124 (main) · emergencies 9-1-1 · USCG Sector San Juan 24-hour operations center 833-453-1267.
Requesting state resourcesFor a land search, contact the municipal emergency management office and NMEAD (main line 787-724-0124); NMEAD coordinates territorial SAR resources such as PRUSAR.

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

Key numbers

Only figures with a published source.

78municipios

U.S. Census Bureau boundaries.

U.S. Census Bureau ↗

18Discipline directories

BluePrintSAR resource pages for Puerto Rico (below).

How search and rescue is requested in Puerto Rico

Step 1In an emergency call 9-1-1.
Step 2For a land search, contact the municipal emergency management office and NMEAD (main line 787-724-0124); NMEAD coordinates territorial SAR resources such as PRUSAR.
Step 3For anyone in distress at sea or along the coast, call the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan 24-hour operations center (833-453-1267). Non-emergency: 787-729-6800.
Step 4NMEAD coordinates with federal agencies that have SAR roles. Federal disaster support comes through FEMA Region 2.

Law and authority

25 L.P.R.A. § 3644 – Functions of the Emergency Management and Disaster Bureau

Directs the Bureau to coordinate the Government of Puerto Rico's search and rescue operations and to coordinate with federal and other bodies that have search and rescue functions.

Read the source ↗

Act 20-2017 – Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety Act

Places the Emergency Management, Fire, Police, Medical Emergencies and 9-1-1 bureaus under the Department of Public Safety. Fire Bureau duties include saving lives and carrying rescue and extrication equipment; volunteer firefighters are treated as state officials for workers' compensation.

Read the source ↗

Act 139 of 1976 (Good Samaritan Act), as amended

Civil immunity for listed persons who voluntarily and without pay give emergency help, including rescue.

Read the source ↗

State plans and guidelines

No territory SAR plan or discipline guidelines are listed on this page.

Resources by discipline

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

Listed in BluePrintSAR directories for Puerto Rico

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 (FURA / ANG)

Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen flies most maritime rescue; Puerto Rico Police and Civil Air Patrol cover land and inland needs

How to request

In Puerto Rico, aircraft are requested by the agency running the search.

Standards and policy

There is no Puerto Rico aviation SAR standard. The Coast Guard flies to its own service standards, the police multi-mission helicopters are described as hoist-equipped, and Civil Air Patrol aircrews qualify under CAP national regulations.

Puerto Rico Aviation (FURA / ANG) directory

Canine (K9)

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

How to request

In Puerto Rico, call 9-1-1, which routes calls to Police, Fire, EMS or NMEAD.

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).

Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico

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. Puerto Rico is in the NCRC Caribbean 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.

Puerto Rico Cave & Subterranean Rescue directory NCRC about ↗ NCRC regional coordinators ↗ MSHA emergency contact ↗

Cell Phone Forensics

Kelsey Smith Act law: none found. 5 agencies and resources listed. All checked against official sources.

How to request

In Puerto Rico, 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.

Puerto Rico Cell Phone Forensics directory

Coast Guard

Coast Guard district and 1 sector covering Puerto Rico, plus 3 stations, local and volunteer units. All checked against official sources.

How to request

In Puerto Rico, 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.

Puerto Rico Coast Guard directory

Communication

National SAR and interoperability channels from the NIFOG.

How to request

In Puerto Rico, 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.

Puerto Rico Communication directory

Dive & Underwater

Start with the state contact below.

How to request

In Puerto Rico, 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.

Puerto Rico Dive & Underwater directory

Drone / UAS

Puerto Rico drone law: Ley 68-2021 (search and rescue exempt). No agency drone teams are listed.

How to request

In Puerto Rico, 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.

Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico

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

How to request

The agency with jurisdiction requests it through NMEAD. Outside the continental U.S., military and Coast Guard aviation for SAR is coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard rescue coordination center for the region; ask the emergency management agency for the current contact.

Standards and policy

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

Puerto Rico National Guard directory Puerto Rico National Guard (official) ↗ State Guard websites (National Guard Bureau) ↗ NMEAD ↗

Mantracking

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

Who provides it in Puerto Rico

Trackers are requested through the agency running the search. This page does not list specific Puerto Rico tracking teams.

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.

Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators lists Puerto Rico Office of the Navigation Commissioner (DRNA) as Puerto Rico’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).

Puerto Rico Marine / FURA Maritime directory Puerto Rico Office of the Navigation Commissioner (DRNA) ↗ NASBLA Puerto Rico boating contacts ↗ State boating laws (USCG Boating Safety) ↗

Police / Law Enforcement

How to request

In an emergency call 9-1-1.

Standards and policy

No territorial SAR member certification

Puerto Rico Police / Law Enforcement directory

State Forests & Natural Reserves (DRNA)

Commonwealth agency

The agency and ranger force for Puerto Rico’s state forests, natural reserves and public waters.

Who provides it in Puerto Rico

The Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) and its Cuerpo de Vigilantes whose duties include forest ranger responsibilities under the Forest Law and patrol of Puerto Rico’s waters.

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

Ley 110 of 2020 (Ley del Cuerpo de Vigilantes de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales).

Puerto Rico State Parks & DRNA directory DRNA Cuerpo de Vigilantes ↗ DRNA ↗

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 Puerto Rico

Swiftwater and flood rescue is requested through the agency with jurisdiction. This page does not list specific Puerto Rico swiftwater teams.

How to request

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

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.

Puerto Rico Swiftwater directory FEMA Swiftwater/Flood SAR Team definition ↗ NMEAD ↗

Technical Mountain Rescue

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

Who provides it in Puerto Rico

No Mountain Rescue Association member team is based in Puerto Rico (MRA team lists). Technical rope rescue is requested through the agency with jurisdiction.

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 NMEAD.

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.

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

USAR (FEMA / PR Task Force)

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

How to request

In Puerto Rico, 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.

Puerto Rico USAR (FEMA / PR Task Force) directory

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 Puerto Rico

National forests and grasslands in Puerto Rico on the Forest Service’s list: El Yunque National Forest. The National Park Service lists 1 park site in Puerto Rico.

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.

Puerto Rico National Forests (El Yunque NF) directory NPS sites in Puerto Rico ↗ Forest Service units by state ↗ USDA testimony on sheriff SAR agreements ↗ 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.

Who provides it in Puerto Rico

Off-road vehicle support is requested through the agency running the search. This page does not list specific Puerto Rico UTV or ATV units.

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.

Puerto Rico UTV & ATV Units directory FEMA Land SAR Team definition ↗

78-municipio directory

The local law enforcement agency for each municipio. Who leads a search varies by state; see the top of this page. For an emergency, call 911.

“Look up” opens a web search for the agency’s number; confirm it on the agency’s own site. For an emergency, call 911.

Jurisdiction	Agency	Phone
Adjuntas Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Aguada Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Aguadilla Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Aguas Buenas Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Aibonito Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Añasco Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Arecibo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Arroyo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Barceloneta Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Barranquitas Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Bayamón Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Cabo Rojo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Caguas Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Camuy Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Canóvanas Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Carolina Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Cataño Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Cayey Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Ceiba Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Ciales Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Cidra Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Coamo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Comerío Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Corozal Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Culebra Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Dorado Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Fajardo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Florida Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Guánica Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Guayama Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Guayanilla Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Guaynabo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Gurabo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Hatillo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Hormigueros Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Humacao Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Isabela Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Jayuya Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Juana Díaz Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Juncos Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Lajas Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Lares Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Las Marías Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Las Piedras Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Loíza Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Luquillo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Manatí Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Maricao Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Maunabo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Mayagüez Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Moca Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Morovis Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Naguabo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Naranjito Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Orocovis Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Patillas Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Peñuelas Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Ponce Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Quebradillas Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Rincón Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Río Grande Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Sabana Grande Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Salinas Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
San Germán Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
San Juan Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
San Lorenzo Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
San Sebastián Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Santa Isabel Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Toa Alta Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Toa Baja Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Trujillo Alto Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Utuado Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Vega Alta Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Vega Baja Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Vieques Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Villalba Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Yabucoa Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗
Yauco Municipio	Puerto Rico Police Bureau	Look up ↗

Page edited November 3, 2026How we verify Get SAR news alerts Is this your team? Correct or share this listing

Puerto Rico State SAR