Wide area search and rescue activities - Powers and duties of local officials - Costs
N.D. Cent. Code § 37-17.1-28
in effect37-17.1-28. Wide area search and rescue activities - Powers and duties of local
officials - Costs.
1. The chief law enforcement officer of each political subdivision is responsible for local
wide area search and rescue activities. The operation of a wide area search and
rescue activity must be in accordance with state and local operations plans adopted by
the governing body of each subdivision. A state or local operations plan must specify
the use of the incident command system for a multiagency or multijurisdictional search
and rescue operation. The local emergency management director shall notify the
department of emergency services of each wide area search and rescue mission. The
local emergency management director shall work in a coordinating capacity directly
supporting all wide area search and rescue activities in that political subdivision and in
registering each emergency search and rescue worker for employee status. The chief
law enforcement official of each political subdivision may restrict access to a specific
search and rescue area to personnel authorized by the chief law enforcement official.
Access may be restricted only for the time necessary to accomplish the search and
rescue mission. An unauthorized person may not interfere with a search and rescue
mission.
2. If a search and rescue activity results in the discovery of a deceased individual or if
any search and rescue worker assists in the recovery of human remains, the chief law
enforcement official of the political subdivision shall ensure compliance with chapter
11-19.1.
3. Upon authorization by the governor and approval of costs by the director of the
division of homeland security and emergency management, expenses incurred in
meeting a contingency or emergency arising from a wide area search and rescue
operation may be reimbursed under section 37-17.1-22 or 37-17.1-27.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t37c17-1.pdf#nameddest=37-17p1-28Fetched: 10/16/2026