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AN ORDINANCE related to planning and permitting; allowing search and rescue facilities in King County, subject to conditions; amending Ordinance 10870 Section 333, as amended, and K.C.C. 21A.08.060, Ordinance 10870, Section 337, as amended, and K.C.C. 21A.08.100 and Ordinance 10870, Section 388, as amended, and K.C.C. 21A.16.030 and adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 21A.06.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. RCW 38.52.010 defines search and rescue as "the acts of searching for, rescuing, or recovering by means of ground, marine, or air activity any person who becomes lost, injured, or is killed while outdoors or as a result of a natural, technological, or human caused disaster, including instances involving searches for downed aircraft when ground personnel are used."
B. RCW 38.52.400 endows the chief law enforcement officer of each political subdivision in Washington with responsibility for conducting search and rescue activities. In King County, the King County sheriff is the responsible official.
C. Chapter 118-04 WAC provides for the registration of volunteers as search and rescue emergency workers, in order to assist law enforcement in emergency operations, including search and rescue operations. That chapter provides basic requirements for classification of these workers as novice, support personnel or field personnel according to their training and qualifications, and allows for more detailed or extensive requirements to be developed at the local level.
D. The sheriff's office partners with volunteer organizations to conduct search and rescue operations throughout the county. Volunteers, under the direction of the sheriff, conduct a variety of search and rescue operations, including mountain rescue, ground search and rescue, ski patrol, search dogs, horseback search and rescue and vehicular operations.
E. Effective coordination and utilization of volunteers in search and rescue operations ...
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