What We Do
Our teams train regularly with other search and rescue resources and are comfortable working in an Incident Command system with law enforcement, ground crews, Civil Air Patrol, boat operators, snowmobiles and 4 wheelers. Typical searches include overdue recreationalists, missing children, body recoveries, drownings, avalanche response, and cold-case human remains detection. We also volunteer our time to educate the Gallatin Valley community about “Staying Found” in the backcountry.
Wilderness Area Search
Wilderness search is important as the number of recreationalists visiting our public lands increase. Area dogs alert handlers to any humans in their search area and can cover significantly more terrain than non-dog ground teams.
Human Remains Recovery
WMSD teams are certified in detection, scene management, and recovery of human remains.
AVALANCHE
Avalanche dogs work to locate individuals who have been buried under snow. WMSD dogs certified in avalanche recovery are prepared to respond to backcountry avalanches all winter long.
Water Recovery
K9s certified in shore and open water search can assist agencies in focusing resources in the correct location to aid in recovery.
Urban & Wilderness Trailing
K9s certified in trailing can help agencies locate subjects from a last known point in both urban and wilderness settings.
Article & Evidence Search
K9s certified in evidence search are a great help when searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack.
Community Outreach
We believe that the best cure is prevention, and WMSD strives to make sure that every man, woman, and child in Gallatin County understands how to “stay found” while in the backcountry.
Our current education programs include: Hug a Tree and Survive for adolescents and Family Backcountry Safety for adults.
Click here to request an educational program for your group!
