Each prospective member of the Linn County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Post must undergo a formal application process. This includes interviews, a background check, and a physical aptitude test. Right from the beginning, we teach life skills that these young people will use the very first time they apply for a job.

Successful applicants are then required to complete the Search and Rescue Training Academy (SARTA); a physically and mentally challenging course of 160+ hours of instruction packed into eleven days. Along with the required training needed to attain their search and rescue certification , the recruits learn teamwork and self-discipline. The Academy is tough, with the mind set that nothing worthwhile is easily attained.

The young men and women who successfully complete the Academy have earned the right to be proud of themselves, the unit they belong to, and the life saving duties they will be asked to perform.