🚨 In an emergency or to report a missing person, call 911 immediately.
Champaign County Search & Rescue seal Champaign County
Search & Rescue Sheriff's Office · EMA
Champaign County, Illinois · Est. 2012

When someone is lost, we go find them.

Champaign County Search & Rescue is an all-volunteer team operating under the Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management Agency — trained, ready, and on call to find lost and missing people across east-central Illinois.

Join the Team See Us in the Field
📍 Meets the 3rd Tuesday monthly 🏫 Illinois Fire Service Institute, Champaign
Searchers in orange clothing line up along the edge of a tall cornfield. Training for the call.
Searchers on a grassy lakeshore practice throwing a rescue line toward a participant in the water.At the water’s edge Four volunteers wearing orange jackets, reflective vests, and field gear stand together outdoors.The people behind it
Our Mission

Volunteers trained to bring people home.

Formed in 2012 under the Champaign County Sheriff's Office and the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA), our team's purpose is the search and rescue of lost or missing individuals. Every member is a trained, unpaid volunteer who gives their evenings and weekends to be ready when the call comes.

More about our team →

All-volunteer. No member is paid — searchers serve their community on their own time.
Always training. Ground search, land navigation, lost person behavior, ICS, first aid & CPR.
Part of the county's response. We operate under the Sheriff's Office and CCEMA.
In the Field

Readiness is built together.

A closer look at the practice, people, and purpose behind our work.

Explore all 20 photos
Searchers in orange clothing line up along the edge of a tall cornfield.
01 / Search & response

Ready for the terrain.

 Searchers on a grassy lakeshore practice throwing a rescue line toward a participant in the water.
02 / Rescue practice

Practice that makes a difference.

 A searcher wearing a helmet and reflective vest stands beneath moonlit trees during night training.
03 / 2025 SAR Summit

Learning together. Day and night.
Get Involved

Three ways to start

Become a Searcher

18+, willing to train and respond? See the requirements and how to join.

How to volunteer →

Train With Us

SARGOT, GSAR, land navigation, ICS and more — in the classroom and the field.

See training →

Meetings & Events

We meet the third Tuesday of each month at IFSI. Visitors are welcome.

View the calendar →
Latest

Recent Activities

All activities
Searchers practice throwing a rescue line from the grassy shore of Homer Lake. Training

Water Rescue Practice at Homer Lake

July 25, 2026

Team members took their water rescue practice to Homer Lake, working on throwing rescue lines from shore.

See the photos →
Team members in orange Search & Rescue shirts stand on the lawn outside IFSI coiling throw bags, with a training target seated on the grass ahead of them. Training

Land-Based Water Search & Rescue

July 21, 2026

We trained on land-based water search and water rescue techniques. After the classroom session, team members went outside to practice throwing rescue bags at targets in the grass.

Searchers in orange Search & Rescue shirts and helmets receive a briefing beside the Champaign County Sheriff EMA mobile command vehicle. Exercise

Multi-Agency Mock Search

June 20, 2026

CCSAR took part in a multi-agency mock search, staging out of the Champaign County EMA mobile command post.

No experience needed — just a willingness to show up.

Search & rescue is a trained skill, and we'll teach you. If you're 18 or older, in good health, and ready to learn, we'd love to meet you.

Start your application