§ 1845. Search and rescue report; response

(a) Report of a person missing; response.

(1) A law enforcement agency taking a report of any person missing in the backcountry, remote areas, or waters of the State shall immediately:

(A) respond and take immediate action to locate the person reported missing; and

(B) notify the Department of Public Safety to advise of the situation.

(2) Any other public safety agency or a nonpublic entity that specializes in protecting the safety of the public and is included in the search and rescue database set forth in section 1846 of this subchapter that takes a report of any person missing in the backcountry, remote areas, or waters of the State:

(A) shall immediately notify the Department of Public Safety to advise of the situation; and

(B) may respond and take immediate action to locate the person reported missing.

(b) Department of Public Safety response.

(1) When provided with a report of a person missing in the backcountry, remote areas, or waters of the State, the Department shall ensure that notification is made to its Search and Rescue Team and the Team, in consultation with the entity providing the report, shall determine the appropriate level of response needed based on best practices in search and rescue operations. The Department shall also ensure that notification is made to any municipal police and fire departments of the town in which the person is missing, any volunteer fire departments of that town, and any emergency medical service providers of that town that are in the search and rescue database.

(2) The Department shall ensure that an immediate response to any report of a person missing in the backcountry, remote areas, or waters of the State is made, including immediate action to locate the person reported missing. (Added 2013, No. 26, § 1, eff. May 13, 2013.)