Dean Cox, Emergency Services Director for Washington County was our guest speaker today. He was asked to give a presentation about the Washington County Search and Rescue. Dean began his remarks by saying explaining that the motto of the Search and Rescue team is, “So That Others May Live.” He went on to make the point that Search and Rescue members routinely participate in life saving activities.
He explained that occasionally other public safety professionals occasionally hav
e that chance, but Search and Rescue members - because of the inherent nature of their service – do on a regular basis.
Mr. Cox explained that the Search and Rescue consists of approximately 85 volunteers who participate on one of three different teams. They are the Dive Team, High-Angle (or rope) Team, and the Ground Search Team. The ground search team has two divisions: one on the east side of the county and the other on the west.
The Search and Rescue team is an outgrowth of the old Sheriff’s Posse. About five years ago the teams were reorganized under the county to assure better liability coverage for the team members and county and to minimize the county’s potential for liability exposure. Each team
meets regularly and trains monthly. Many members participate on more than one team. Some of the teams are highly technical in nature and require advanced certifications of members before they can fully participate.
Requests for assistance often come at hours that many would consider inconvenient, i.e. late at night or under other adverse conditions such as during inclement weather. This is because missing person reports are not filed until after a party is long overdue. These volunteers are committed and give of their time and resources which might include 4 wheel drive vehicles, ATV’s, and specialized climbing or diving equipment.
Hard costs associated with a search such as for fuel and food is usually at least partially compensated by a special State Search and Rescue Fund. This fund is financed by a 50 cent tax on all off-road vehicle registrations. The County also helps defray costs and ensure the safety of the response by carefully working with the volunteers to see that they have ropes and other equipment that is safe and reliable. There are however, many items that the team would like to acquire to improve the quality and capability of their responses.
An item which was recently acquired was a used Snow Cat. Many of our rescues are in the Kolob area and deep snow is a winter regular event. The Search and Rescue team recently completed a long and labor intensive search and recovery effort on the Ivins Red Mountain, near St. George. Nearly a thousand man hours went into the effort which spanned nearly two weeks.
Search and Rescue is a valuable resource to the Citizens of Washington County. The County could not afford to buy the quality of service that is provided by the volunteers. They play a vital role in the overall spectrum of public safety.
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