Members are volunteers and are required to be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Missoula County (residency requirements may be waived for University of Montana students), pass a criminal background investigation, be approved by the Sheriff of Missoula County and be at least 19 years of age.
Missoula Country Search and Rescue conducts two meetings on the second Monday of each month at the SAR warehouse. Individuals interested in joining SAR should start by attending a general business meeting, those begin promptly at 6:30pm. A board of executives meeting is conducted immediately following the general business meeting and open to the public.
MCSAR has a regular training each month on the fourth Monday. These sessions are held in the evening. The times, topics and locations are announced at the meetings. MCSAR also has numerous additional trainings throughout the year.
Most members of MCSAR are outdoor enthusiasts, but it is not required for membership. All of the training that an individual would need to retain membership is offered by the unit. Each member is required to be active each year at a minimum level of 50 hours. In addition to the 50 hours, each member must have the current training, skills and health appropriate for any training or mission in which they wish to participate. Some of the equipment that we use in SAR is provided by the unit, but members are responsible for their personal gear which can be an expensive investment.