Inland Northwest Search and Rescue (INSAR) is an all adult volunteer non-profit urban and wilderness search and rescue team based out of Spokane Washington. INSAR works as a volunteer group that is an extension of the Spokane County Sheriff Department and Department of Emergency Management. As an all volunteer organization INSAR provides search and rescue services in wilderness and urban environments, public safety education, and technical rescue in alpine, extreme weather, and other adverse conditions. INSAR is funded entirely through donations and does not charge for any of the search and rescue services it provides.
INSAR was founded by the Spokane Mountaineers in 2004 and operated as Spokane Mountaineers Search and Rescue (SMSAR). The team steadily grew in size and mission scope over the years and in 2009 a decision was made to move the Spokane Mountaineers Search and Rescue team into a new standalone non-profit corporation dedicated to SAR and the team transitioned to INSAR. The Spokane Mountaineers is an important ongoing supporter and partner organization for INSAR.
Today the INSAR is made up of an all volunteer team of 30+ members with specializations Mountain Rescue and technical rope rescue, as well as general wilderness and urban searches. While the members are 100% volunteer, they are not amateurs and spend a significant amount of time in both classroom and field training as well as a significant amount of money on personal equipment and clothing.
Typical missions for INSAR include both urban and wilderness searches for missing subjects including children, the elderly, alzheimer patients, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. The team is equipped and trained to conduct these missions in all types of terrain and all types of weather day or night for an extended period of time.