Join Our Team

Margo brings with her over 24 years of law enforcement experience and 7 years serving as a Coroner and Death Investigator. Her extensive background in public safety and investigative work makes her a tremendous asset to our team.

For the four years, she worked closely with the former Chief, gaining in-depth knowledge of our operations and building strong relationships within the team. This hands-on experience has provided her with a clear understanding of what is needed to enhance CSAR’s effectiveness.

Her proactive leadership and dedication to continuous improvement are already making a positive impact.

Chad who brings 25 years of experience in law enforcement and 6 years of military service to our team and has been on CSAR since day one.  

The Captain supports the overall leadership and operational readiness of the search and rescue team. Working closely with the Chief, they help coordinate missions, oversee training programs, and ensure team members are prepared for effective field response.

With experience in ground operations, incident support, and team development, the captain plays a key role in maintaining high standards of safety, professionalism, and mission success while serving the community with dedication and integrity.

Kelley has a deep passion for helping both her community and dogs, which led her to combine the two by joining the Search and Rescue K9 Unit. After many years of dedicated training, studying, and attending workshops, she earned the role of Assistant Chief of K9.

Her diverse experience in ground operations, incident command, and K9 response makes her an incredible asset to the team, strengthening both field operations and overall mission coordination. 

The K9 Chief leads and oversees the organization’s canine search and rescue program, ensuring teams are highly trained, mission-ready, and operationally effective. With extensive experience in K9 handling, ground operations, and incident support, the Chief provides leadership in training, deployment strategy, and team development.

Dedicated to excellence and the welfare of both handlers and canines, the K9 Chief plays a vital role in strengthening search operations and serving the community with professionalism and integrity.

 Sandy (left) created and developed the Family Liaison Unit,  Bev (right) joined shortly afterwards making the dynamic duo.   

This team continues to grow and is now a 5 person unit

(not shown, Monica,  Holly & Kai)

Family Liaison Officers (FLOs) are a vital component of Cincinnati Search and Recovery (CSAR). Our team is called upon by law enforcement when families face a crisis—most often, when a loved one is missing and potentially in danger.  The FLO team plays a unique and essential role in these situations. We have developed specialized fact-finding forms that go beyond the standard information collected by traditional agencies. These in-depth tools often provide critical insights that help lead to the location and recovery of missing persons.

In addition to supporting active searches, we also offer families a comprehensive resource guide for both during and after the crisis. This guide provides valuable information and support to help families navigate one of the most difficult times of their lives.

Each FLO team member must complete a series of rigorous steps before being authorized to deploy and work directly with families. These include certification in key training modules such as:

• Psychological First Aid
•  Lost Person Behavior 
• And other specialized trainings essential to our mission

Our mission is to provide compassionate, informed, and effective support to families—every step of the way.

 Dorothy has been a tremendous asset to CSAR. Her expertise from her work in forensic pathology, along with her experience on OMORT, has elevated the team to a new level of knowledge and capability. 

As the Ground Team Chief, she serves as the operational leader of the ground team, responsible for coordinating field operations, ensuring team safety, and overseeing mission execution from deployment through demobilization. With extensive experience in search tactics, land navigation, and emergency response, the Ground Team Chief provides strategic direction while maintaining clear communication between field teams and command staff.

Committed to professionalism and readiness, the Ground Team Chief prioritizes training, teamwork, and mission effectiveness to ensure successful outcomes in complex and challenging environments.

Michael (not shown) is the Ground Team Captain

Some members have been trained by Andrea Zaferes in Aquatic Deaths, Drownings, and Homicides. This course provides them with the knowledge and tools needed to help determine where a missing person may be located in bodies of water. 

Several members have been trained and certified to instruct on Lost Person Behavior by the founder himself, Dr. Robert Koester. LPB is indeed foundational for effective search and rescue operations because it uses patterns and data-driven behavioral profiles to predict where missing persons are most likely to be found. The landmark study and the book you mentioned have been game changers in the SAR community, offering insights into subject categories, updated statistics, and behavioral tendencies that help narrow down search areas and save critical time. 

Several members have been trained and certified in Man Tracking by world renowned Man Tracker Fernando Moreira.   

For more information on Fernando go to https://www.professionaltrackers.com/