When disaster strikes — natural or man-made — Northeast Search and Rescue answers the call as a trained supporting resource to local, state, and federal authorities. For more than fifty years, our volunteers have deployed to some of the most demanding operations in our region and across the country, working alongside partner agencies to search, recover, and help communities through their worst days.
A Resource When Disaster Strikes
NESAR serves as a supporting resource in natural and man-made disasters — deployed only by authorizing authorities, and never charging for our services. We work in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Council, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the Monroe County Emergency Operations Center, and mutual-aid partners to conduct safe, coordinated operations. Depending on the need, that may mean managing a search, providing skilled field teams, or supporting a larger multi-agency response.
Where We’ve Served
NESAR’s members have answered the call far beyond our home region:
September 11, 2001 — Fresh Kills, Staten Island
In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, NESAR members deployed to the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island, New York, joining the painstaking effort to search recovered material for human remains and personal effects — helping return the lost to their families.
August 2005 — Hurricane Katrina
When Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in August 2005, NESAR team members traveled to support search and recovery operations across the disaster zone.
2012 — Hurricane Sandy
During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, NESAR was deployed for rescue operations here in Pennsylvania as rising water and storm damage threatened communities across the region.
Closer to Home
Disaster response isn’t only about far-away headlines — NESAR is ready when our own communities are hit:
- Flooding in Monroe County — responding when rising water threatened local residents.
- The Hotel Hampton fire in Easton, Pennsylvania — supporting the response to the three-alarm fire that gutted the building.
- Numerous multi-agency searches across the region, where NESAR helps support and manage operations alongside law enforcement and partner responders.
Trained, Ready, and Requested
Every NESAR member trains to meet or exceed national standards — SARTECH II, NASAR, and Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Council certifications — with full NIMS/ICS incident-management training. We deploy only at the request of authorizing authorities, and we never charge for our services.
In an emergency, call 911. NESAR is dispatched by authorizing authorities and cannot be activated directly by the public.