SART logo

The Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) consists of specially trained professionals from multiple agencies who work together to provide a community coordinated response to reports of sexual assault. Members of SART represent the fields of law enforcement, health care, advocacy, and prosecution and are employed in the public and private sectors (university, city and county governments, medical clinics, and nonprofits).  SART strives to provide the first response to ensure a consistent, compassionate and professional initial contact for victims and improve the likelihood of successful prosecutions.  The program is based out of the Iowa State University Police Department in Ames, Iowa. 

The Story County SART mission is to serve sexual assault victims by coordinating an immediate, high quality, multi-disciplinary, victim-centered response which may include health care, law enforcement, advocacy, and judicial systems.

Using SART, or any of their partners, does not require legal action. 

Ready to respond

  • 24/7

    For immediate assistance, contact any SART agency

Who to contact and what to expect

The Story County SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) mission is to serve sexual assault victims by coordinating an immediate, high-quality, multi-disciplinary, victim centered response which may include health care, law enforcement, advocacy, and judicial systems. The following agencies collaborate in delivering these services.

Medical

ISU Thielen Student Health Center
Iowa State University
Sheldon & Union Drive, Ames, IA 50011
Phone (business hours): 515-294-5801

Mary Greeley Medical Center
1111 Duff Avenue
Ames, IA 50010
Phone (24 hours): 515-239-2011

Story County Medical Center
640 19th Street
Nevada, IA 50201
Phone: 515-382-2111

Law Enforcement

Ames Police Department
515 Clark Avenue
Ames, IA 50010
Emergency: 911
Non-Emergency: 515-239-5133

Huxley Police Department
515 N Main Ave
Huxley, IA 50124
Emergency: 911
Non-emergency: 515-597-2001

Iowa State University Police Department
2519 Osborn Drive
55 Armory, Ames, IA 50011
Emergency: 911
Non-Emergency: 515-294-4428

Nevada Police Department
1209 6th Street, PO Box 530, Nevada, IA 50201-0530
Emergency: 911
Non-Emergency: 515-382-4593

Story City Police Department
508 Broad Street
Story City, IA 50248
Emergency:  911
Non-Emergency Phone: 515-733-4305

Story County Sheriff’s Office
1315 South B Avenue
Nevada, IA 50201
Emergency: 911
Non-Emergency: 515-382-6566

Advocacy

ACCESS (Assault Care Center Extending Shelter and Support)
P.O. Box 1429, Ames, IA 50014
Crisis Line: 29-ALERT (292-5378) or 800-203-3488
Business Line: 515-292-0500

Legal

Story County Attorney’s Office
1315 South B Avenue, Nevada, IA 50201
Non-Emergency: 515-382-7255

If you have been sexually assaulted, you may find the following steps helpful:

  • First, remember that what happened to you is not your fault. You did not cause an assault, and you did not deserve it. You have a right to be believed and to receive appropriate medical, emotional, and legal support if you choose such options.
  • Story County SART services are available to all survivors of sexual assault ages 13 and older, even if the assault occurred several days, or even years, earlier.
  • Get to a safe place. 
  • Do not change anything at the location where the assault occurred.
  • Do not eat, drink, shower, douche, brush your teeth, go to the bathroom, or change your clothes. These activities could destroy physical evidence that may be helpful if you later decide to pursue legal action.
  • Consider contacting one of the individual SART agencies. These agencies can provide you with medical attention, emotional support, and law enforcement services and can help you explore your various options.
  • Even if you don’t want to file a police report, consider receiving medical attention. A SART nurse will provide options to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections, and collect valuable evidence that may be useful in the future, even if you are unsure about pursuing legal action now. Physical evidence can only be collected for up to 120 hours after an assault, but a survivor has ten years to decide if she/he wants to ask the Story County Attorney’s Office to pursue a criminal case (or ten years after one’s 18th birthday if the assault took place prior to the survivor turning 18).
  • The medical exam and follow up visits are free in Iowa, even if you do not report the assault to the police.

The Story County Sexual Assault Response Team can be activated by contacting any SART agency. Upon activation, a three-person team responds, including:

  • Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), an experienced Registered Nurse with extensive training specific to collecting and documenting evidence in sexual assault cases. Other options include treatment for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.
  • Sexual Assault Advocate, a confidential service provider who offers emotional support, victim rights information, additional community resources, and support when utilizing other systems. Sexual assault victims have the right to have an advocate present at all proceedings related to the assault, including meetings with law enforcement, medical professionals, or the criminal justice system. 
  • Law Enforcement Officer, who can take a report of the assault and/or start an investigation, depending on the wishes of the victim. Options include:
    • File written report only, no investigation
    • File written report, gather immediate evidence, no further investigation
    • File written report, gather evidence, conduct full investigation

The nurse, advocate, and law enforcement officer each explain their role on the team and what services they are able to provide. It is up to the victim to decide which resources to use. In a sexual assault, choice was taken away from the person who was sexually assaulted. SART wants to give that choice back to that person and will respect all decisions that person makes.

Understandably, sexual assault victims may not be ready to make a decision about pursing criminal charges immediately after a sexual assault. In Iowa, a survivor has 10 years to ask the County Attorney’s Office to pursue a criminal case (or 10 years after one’s 18th birthday if the assault took place prior to the survivor turning 18). However, physical evidence is lost quickly after a sexual assault and typically cannot be recovered. The choice can be made to have evidence collected and preserved immediately after an assault and decide later how to proceed.