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Twenty-one volunteers are now qualified to participate in wilderness search and rescue operations across the region and ready to join the ranks of the Oswego and Onondaga County Search and Rescue teams.
“Our teams provide vital life-saving assistance in our communities,” said Oswego County SAR Team Coordinator Aaron Albrecht. “When people call ‘9-1-1’ to report a lost or missing person, our teams are dispatched to support a search.”
He explained that, due to the critical nature of this service, “the joint SAR academy trains volunteers to become members of the Oswego County Pioneer and Onondaga County Wilderness Search and Rescue teams. Students gain a solid background in essential search and rescue skills and receive the knowledge and ‘hands-on’ experience they need to safely and effectively operate as ground search volunteers,” he said.
Dylan Hauprich, coordinator for the Onondaga County Wilderness Team, added, “I graduated from the SAR academy ten years ago. The curriculum covers a thorough introduction to search and rescue techniques, cold weather emergencies, crime scene preservation, the National Incident Management Systems (NIMS), and a variety of other topics.”
The students completed more than 80 hours of classroom training and field work in Oswego and Onondaga counties over the past several months. During their final field tests at Selkirk Shores State Park in June, they were individually evaluated on their skills in map and compass, GPS, land navigation, radio communications and wilderness survival skills as they covered a course 1.2 miles long.
The Oswego County Pioneer and Onondaga County Wilderness Search and Rescue teams conduct the training academy every two years with classes held at facilities in both counties.
“Our teams work closely together and actively participate in searches across the state when additional resources are needed,” said Albrecht.
Hauprich agreed, saying, “Our two teams have a long history of working together on searches as well as training exercises.”
Both the Oswego and Onondaga teams are gaining new volunteer members.
New members of the Oswego County team are Michelle Ward, West Monroe; Robert Fisk, Pennellville; Catherine Seidl, Cleveland; Kyle Kolwaite, Syracuse; Erin Scoville, Lacona; Bailey Patillo, Lafayette; Savannah Harp, Hannibal; Tanya Parker, Mexico; Drew Thomas, Oswego; Jonathan Styer, Phoenix; and Bryan Corrice, Liverpool.
Joining the Onondaga County team are Susan Bingham, Manlius; Daniel Lindsey, Liverpool; Mark Hatch, Solvay; Matthew O’Neill, Liverpool; Zachary Ryan, Syracuse; Andrew Zoanetti, Warners; Matthew Ney, South Otselic; and Christina Audet, Syracuse.
Ellen Fagan of Earlville will join the Amigo Search and Rescue Dogs team of Vestal, N.Y.
The graduates are also certified as New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) basic wildlands searchers; as Project Lifesaver electronic search specialists; and in wilderness first aid and American Heart Association CPR.
“I am impressed with the camaraderie and initiative of this year’s training class,” said Albrecht. “Many area agencies supported our training academy. I would like to thank the Oswego County Fire Coordinator’s Office, Oswego County 9-1-1, NYS Forest Rangers, Onondaga County Parks Department, Selkirk Shores State Park, West Monroe Fire Department, Parish Fire Department, Clay Fire Department, South Bay Fire Department, and Brewerton Fire Department for their help with training and use of their facilities.”
The Oswego County Pioneer Search and Rescue Team is an all-volunteer unit, founded in 1971. It is funded by the Oswego County Legislature, community donations and grants. Since the beginning of January 2026, the team has been activated for 11 searches and was placed on standby for an additional nine calls this year.
For more information, visit https://oswegocountysar.org or https://www.facebook.com/OCPSAR/.
For information on the Onondaga County Wilderness Team, visit https://wsar.org or https://facebook.com/wsarteam.
