CHATTANOOGA - HAMILTON COUNTY RESCUE SERVICE
For over 80 years, we have served the Tri-State area through technical expertise, search & rescue, and emergency incident rehabilitation services. We are one of the few rescue teams in the country with the skill level and experience to save lives both above and underground.
WHO WE ARE
Chattanooga - Hamilton County Rescue Service (CHCRS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit first responder organization headquartered in Chattanooga, TN. We serve citizens across Chattanooga and the Tri-State area, and deploy at the request of law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency management agencies. We cannot respond to emergencies without the Jurisdiction Having Authority (JHA) formally requesting our assistance. We provide specialized services such as complex technical rescue (on cliffs and in caves); ground search and rescue; swift-water rescue; K9 search; disaster relief services; and Emergency Incident Rehabilitation services to fire, police and rescue personnel. We are a fully self-sufficient rescue team, providing services free to requesting emergency agencies. Our team is staffed by volunteers who are trained professionals and experts in their fields.
TRAINING & OPERATIONAL READINESS
CHCRS prides itself as being in a constant state of readiness. Our member-volunteers are put through rigorous training, including Incident Command Systems, SAR classroom and field training, Basic Life Support, and advanced technical rope rescue techniques that go beyond “standard rescue techniques.” Each provisional member must pass a series of skills tests before becoming full team members.
WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS
“The value of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue Service to the fallen climber can be measured in one stark sentence. The guy would have died without them.”
— Ray Glier, USA Today