Vermont Statutes
Chapter 20 - Internal Security and Public Safety
App 20-62 (No. 03-22) [Search and Rescue Council]

Executive Order No. 20-62 (No. 03-22) [Search and Rescue Council]
WHEREAS, in 2013, the General Assembly enacted Act 26 of the Laws of 2013, An Act Relating to Search and Rescue, which created coordinated processes for state and local search and rescue response through the Commissioner of Public Safety, as well as establish an Amber Alert Program and a Search and Rescue Council; and
WHEREAS, after eight years of successfully working to improve search and rescue operations throughout the State, the Search and Rescue Council statutory authority sunset and was repealed as of July 1, 2021; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of Vermonters and the Vermont public safety community to continue the work of the Search and Rescue Council.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Philip B. Scott, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor, do hereby the recreate and establish the Search and Rescue Council (“Council”), as follows:
I. Composition and Appointments
A. Membership. The Council shall be composed of eight members who shall serve two-year terms commencing on July 1 of each odd-numbered year. Members of the Council shall be as follows:
1. The Search and Rescue Coordinator;
2. The Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team Leader;
3. One member of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, appointed by the Commissioner of the Department;
4. One member of the public with experience in search and rescue operations, appointed by the Governor;
5. One member of the National Ski Patrol or the Green Mountain Club with experience in search and rescue operations, appointed by the Governor;
6. One member of a professional or volunteer search and rescue organization, appointed by the Governor; and
7. One member of a professional or volunteer search and rescue organization, appointed by the Governor; andvolunteer and one career firefighter, each of whom has completed the Vermont Basic Search and Rescue course or equivalent and NIMS Incident Command training IS100 and IS200.
The appointed members shall be appointed to reflect the different geographic regions of the State.
The Council shall elect a Chair from its membership.
The Council shall receive administrative support from the Department of Public Safety.
II. Charge
A. The Council shall be responsible for analyzing the performance of search and rescue operations conducted in the State
B. The Council shall:
1) meet quarterly and upon the call of the Chair;
2) establish and review and update the search and rescue training and equipment standards that shall be required of members of the Search and Rescue Team;
3) review completed search and rescue operations and make recommendations to search and rescue resources on how those operations may be improved; and
4) at its discretion and subject to the provisions of 32 V.S.A. § 5, apply for and accept contributions, capital grants, gifts, services, and funds from any source.
C. The Council shall prepare a report for the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety no later than January 15 of each year. At a minimum, the report shall detail mission statistics, describe the status of outreach and education and training, make recommendations, if any, needed for improved operations and include such other information requested by the Commissioner.
Members who are not otherwise employed by the State, a County or a municipality may receive per diem compensation in accordance with 32 V.S.A. § 1010(e).
III. Effective Date
This Executive Order shall take effect upon signing and shall be retroactive to July 1, 2021. The members of the Search and Rescue Council who have been appointed by the Governor to serve through July 1, 2023 shall serve out their current terms.
Dated March 22, 2022

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