About Essex SAR
Essex SAR was established in October 2002 to provide a pool of trained volunteers ready to assist the Police searching for missing vulnerable persons (children, despondents, people living with dementia and other medical conditions, etc.), primarily within the County of Essex.
Our searches may be carried out in urban areas, including searches of open spaces, car parks, recreation grounds, etc. or in the countryside, on open land, fields or in wooded areas. We can be called upon at any time of the day or night, whatever the weather.
Essex SAR is one of many Lowland Search and Rescue units which exist countrywide. Like our sister organisations we are affiliated to our national body Lowland Rescue who are responsible for co-ordinating the various groups and setting the standards to which we must adhere. Occasionally we may be asked to assist neighbouring Lowland Rescue groups; we can also ask them for help if required.
Essex SAR is a registered charity and is funded entirely through voluntary donations and contributions. As well as funding the training of searchers and search management capability, these donations also pay for all the equipment needed for the team to be fully self sufficient in our role such as our vehicles, mapping, GPS, communications, and first aid equipment. Donations also cover the core running costs such as insurance, diesel, IT licences, and so on.
Registered Charity No. 1096661
Meet some of our volunteers
Edwina (and Bramley & Buddy)
I joined Lowland Search and Rescue in 2017 , whilst winding down work, ready to take retirement. Following completion of the training required to be a search technician (search techniques, first aid, navigation and communications), I became operational in 2018. and attended many callouts, which could occur any time of the day or night, helping the team to find vulnerable missing persons. During that time, I had seen that SAR used dogs as another asset on a search to find people and was wondering whether I could teach my dogs to do this. This desire to use a dog…...
Anita
Hi, my name is Anita, I joined the team in 2021, and really enjoy being part of a fantastic group of like minded people. I have learnt so many new skills, and gained confidence in myself too. I joined after my dear Mum passed away from vascular dementia, she wandered off a few times, and whilst researching what would happen if she got lost, I found the website of Essex SAR. It was great to know there was a group of volunteers prepared to look for vulnerable people at all times of day and night to help bring them home....
Milesy
I am a Lloyd’s Marine Broker based in Chelmsford and working in the City of London. Having been diagnosed and treated for a serious illness back in 2021 I decided it was time to pay it forward by helping the community where I could. I started mispering for the K9 team in late 2021 and I was immediately (I still am) in awe of what they do. The training that the dogs and handlers go through is unbelievable and what they achieve is mind blowing. This led me to fully join the team in 2022. Fast forward to today, and…...
Matt
I’ve been with Essex SAR since 2005, and am currently a search manager and the team’s operations lead. This involves receiving the initial call for assistance from Essex Police, formulating the search plan, arranging the team to deploy, and managing the search activity on the ground. I’m a chartered surveyor by profession, father to two daughters, and husband to a long suffering but very supportive wife who is regularly disturbed when the phone goes off in the middle of the night. I joined as I was looking to volunteer in a way that I could use my existing outdoor skills.…...