Sheriff's Office Runs Rescue Drill at Shevlin Park

Deschutes County Search & Rescue volunteers practiced locating and treating simulated missing people in the Bend park.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Emergency Response

Sheriff's Office Runs Rescue Drill at Shevlin Park

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office conducted a simulated rescue training exercise at Shevlin Park on Saturday evening, involving 48 Search & Rescue volunteers. The scenario involved six people reported missing and scattered throughout the park.

Why it matters

The drill tests how volunteers coordinate searches and respond to missing persons in a park near Bend residents use regularly. Training exercises of this kind prepare the local search and rescue network for real incidents.

The exercise involved 48 volunteers and six deployed search teams searching for six simulated missing individuals. The source does not report search duration or performance measures.

The players

Deschutes County Sheriff's Office

The county law enforcement agency that designed and ran the exercise through its Incident Management Team and oversees the county's Search & Rescue volunteers.

The details

Six search teams were deployed to locate the six simulated missing individuals scattered across Shevlin Park. Once found, search teams assessed each individual's condition and provided medical care.

Saturday evening, November 7, 2026: Simulated rescue training exercise held at Shevlin Park.

Seasonal Patterns

The Shevlin Park drill occurs in early November, a period when Central Oregon's shorter daylight hours and cooler conditions shape how volunteer search teams plan extended evening operations in the Deschutes County park system.

Residents who visit Shevlin Park should stay on marked trails and carry a means of communication, since search teams are trained to locate people who become separated from their groups. Anyone who becomes lost in the park should call 911 and provide their location.

The takeaway

Drills like this one show how coordinated volunteer networks prepare for real rescues, and they offer a reminder that staying oriented in a park and reporting problems quickly helps responders reach people faster.