Team History
The Lee's Summit Underwater Rescue and Recovery Team (LSURR) began its cooperation with the Jackson County Sheriff's Department in 1966 after a tragic drowning in a local area lake. Several divers created the team and subsequently trained together as a team in order to conduct organized body searches in local lakes and ponds. Since that time, LSURR expanded its capability in searches, services, and techniques. In 1988, LSURR obtained a lease of county land across the street from the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, where the team built it's own building for housing the most advanced dive rescue and recovery team in the metropolitan area.
Today's LSUR
LSURR is a professionally trained, all volunteer, 501C(3) Not-for-Profit Corporation. No member receives payment for his or her work, not even the administrators or the Board of Directors.
LSURR is comprised of 15 public safety rescue divers, and 6 non-divers acting in a support function. All divers obtain professional Public Safety Diving (PSD) certification. We have two certified diving instructors and three more working towards diving instructor certification. New divers and support are trained up to standards quickly through intensive training during a probationary period. The Team maintains an Equal Opportunity Employment policy of non-discrimination when hiring volunteers.
Team Funding
LSURR receives much of its funding from public donations, corporate donations, grants, The United Way, and from the Jackson County Missouri Legislature. The Team does not charge law and fire agencies for our specialized work. However the general public is asked to give a minimum donation for property recovery to offset the cost of the search operation. No charge is ever requested for giving water safety presentations.
In addition to covering yearly administrative expenses, much of the funding received is used to maintain our inventory of equipment, and to purchase new operating equipment. For example, we collected enough donations in 2001 to purchase two additional AGA MKII Full Face masks (total of four now in service), and a side-scan sonar unit. Also for 2001, a generous grant from the Truman Heartland Foundation assisted our purchase of six wireless underwater communications units (OTS SSB-2010’s). This new equipment gives an added amount of safety to our divers during hazardous operations. But as you can see, it takes a large amount of financial assistance to maintain a fully operational, state-of-the-art, safe team.
Team Training
- Training is held monthly in all weather environments
- All team members are certified by nationally recognized / sponsored specialty courses that deal with scenarios that the team can be called to.
