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Wilderness Search And Recovery Team

​The Bartow Country Sheriff's Office Wilderness Search And Recovery (WSAR) Team is a volunteer organization composed of local community members with a wide variety of skill-sets that are all committed to serving both the Sheriff's Office and the overall Bartow County community. The WSAR Team was founded in November of 2013 by Lt. Robert Moultrie (Retired) in response to incidents involving lost or missing persons in the wilderness areas of Bartow County.  The WSAR Team is available on an ''on-call'' basis, 24/7, to assist the Sheriff's Office during times of need.

The team meets monthly for continuous training in a variety of areas including:

  • land navigation

  • wilderness first aid

  • search procedures/techniques

  • wilderness survival

  • human-tracking

  • lost or missing person behavior analysis

  • crime scene preservation

  • rope rescue/techniques

  • radio operation

  • firearm safety

  • legal issues

  • any other training topics relating to WSAR.

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Team Membership

Membership in the BCSO Wilderness Search And Recovery (WSAR) Team is open to local residents on a volunteer basis. Along with being ''On Call'', the WSAR Team meets on the last Saturday of every month from 9am - 1pm for basic training.

 

To become a member, you must:

 

   1) Be a full-time State of Georgia resident
   2) Possess a valid Georgia Driver's License
   3) Submit to a Background Investigation / Criminal Records check

 

If you are interested in joining the WSAR Team, fill out an application and return it to the BCSO.

​​​Questions?

If you have any questions please contact

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Inv. Johnathan Shirley  (Ext. 6027)

Bartow Wilderness Search And Recovery Team Leader

johnathanshirley@bartow.org

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BCSO - WSAR Team
104 Zena Drive
Cartersville, GA 30121

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