With Coconino County being the second largest county in the United States, it brings many challenges for the Sheriff’s Office. In 2023 the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office was awarded $525,000.00 by the Arizona State Legislature to help meet some of those challenges.
A portion of that award was used to purchase a vehicle called a Sherp. The Sherp is an amphibious allterrain utility vehicle. The Sherp will be used by our Search and Rescue Unit for rescues in varied and challenging terrain and weather conditions in Coconino County. Other funds from the award were used to purchase a replacement mobile incident command trailer, new satellite communications equipment, new small unmanned aerial systems, and technical rescue equipment.
Our search and rescue unit completes between 140 and 150 missions each year. Approximately 90% of our search and rescue missions are on remote federally managed public lands. Being able to quickly find and access missing, and injured persons saves lives.
Adding this vehicle provides the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit with a vehicle that can access difficult locations such as rural subdivisions whose roads are impassable after heavy rain or snow and backcountry locations that are difficult to access due to rocky terrain, sandy terrain, partially frozen lakes, or snow and ice. This vehicle can operate at higher speeds than a snowcat, and in areas where the snowcat cannot be deployed.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Arizona State Legislature for their support in these lifesaving efforts.
