When disaster strikes and lives hang in the balance, there are people who don’t wait for help, they become it. Code 24 Search and Rescue is a global volunteer-led disaster response organization committed to saving lives, supporting survivors, and delivering humanitarian aid wherever it’s needed most.
Founded by veteran responder Dean W. Salter, Code 24 SAR is built on experience earned in some of the world’s most devastating crises. From earthquake-ravaged Turkey and typhoon-battered Philippines to the floodwaters of Texas and outreach missions in the Congo, our team shows up with urgency, training, and compassion.
A Mission Built on Honor
The name Code 24 represents more than just readiness. It symbolizes separation from service with honor — a military-inspired mindset that guides every deployment, rescue, and relief effort. We operate with discipline, integrity, and deep respect for the people and communities we serve.
At the heart of our mission is a simple yet powerful phrase — “I GOT YOU” — a tribute to Dean’s late son Cody. His legacy continues to guide how we show up for others, especially in the darkest moments.
What We Do
Code 24 Search and Rescue responds to a wide range of emergency situations with trained professionals and specialized tools. Our team conducts K9 search and rescue for both live and cadaver recoveries, handles swift water rescues, operates sub-surface dive missions, and performs ground search operations in remote or disaster-affected areas. We are equipped for urban search and rescue, confined space entry, and high-angle rope extractions. In collapsed buildings, we use bracing and shoring techniques to ensure safe entry during rescue operations.
Our medical volunteers provide both ALS and BLS services, bringing emergency medical care directly to disaster zones, events, and festivals. In addition to life-saving response, we are deeply involved in humanitarian support. Code 24 delivers food, distributes safe drinking water, organizes hot meal programs, and conducts medical and dental missions. We also sponsor orphaned young adults attending nursing or medical school, helping them build futures through education.
Deployments That Define Us
Code 24’s work has taken us around the globe. In 2023, our team deployed to Adiyaman, Turkey following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Over 21 days, we conducted nonstop SAR operations, recovering dozens of victims from the rubble and reuniting families. In 2025, we led a flood response in Kerrville, Texas, organizing teams of 80 to 100 people daily across four miles of riverbank and submerged land. Working around the clock, we recovered 11 missing persons, cleared bridges buried under seven feet of water, and helped restore order in devastated communities.
In 2022, we traveled to Brazzaville, Congo, bringing Christmas toys and supplies to orphanages and rural provinces in partnership with the U.S. Embassy and Marine Corps Security Detachment’s Toys for Tots program. This mission continues to grow as we now sponsor residential housing for young adults pursuing education in the medical field. Earlier deployments include the Indonesia earthquake and tsunami in 2018, where we recovered 27 victims and rescued four people trapped during a liquefaction event, and the catastrophic Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, where we laid the groundwork for future Code 24 efforts through food distribution and direct relief programs.
Led by Experts, Powered by Volunteers
Code 24 is made up entirely of volunteers, highly trained professionals who sacrifice their own time and resources to serve others. Our team includes retired U.S. military veterans, fire marshals, ALS-certified medics, K9 handlers, coast guard liaisons, and SAR experts stationed across Australia, Malaysia, Turkey, the Philippines, and the United States. These are people who are not just skilled — they are committed to showing up, even when conditions are dangerous and the mission is complex.
Why We Exist
Code 24 is not a government agency and we are not backed by large institutions. We respond because people need help and because we believe in serving with honor. We deploy quickly, often within 24 to 48 hours, and operate only with the permission and cooperation of local governments and diplomatic channels. Every mission is different, every environment brings its own challenges, and every life we touch reminds us why this work matters.
Whether we are clearing storm debris, shoring up a collapsed structure, providing safe water in a remote village, or carrying out a search in hostile terrain, we are driven by the same core principle, to be there when others can’t.
Join the Mission
If you believe in the power of action, we invite you to be part of our story. You can join us as a volunteer, sponsor a mission, or donate to help keep our teams equipped, mobile, and mission-ready. Your support helps us move faster, go further, and reach the people who need us most.
Because when the unthinkable happens, we don’t look away.
We step forward and say — “I GOT YOU.”
