Search and Rescue Salmon Feed

All day Saturday, members of the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, as well as their  supporters held the fort at the City Park in Soda Springs, where they cooked up Alaskan Salmon to raise money for equipment and supplies.  Caribou County Search and Rescue is a volunteer organization that helps out with emergencies on a quick-response basis throughout Caribou and surrounding counties.  In addition to the wildland search contained in its name, the group can be mobilized to support other agencies in a variety of life-saving efforts.

Some of the equipment that has been purchased in the past as a result of donations and fundraising was on display at the park, including motorcycles, an ATV trailer, mobile radio equipment to increase communication around the valley at remote locations, and more.

Food was cooked by members of Search and Rescue and the Sheriff’s Office, and Walter Kuchler provided the DJ services.

Search and Rescue Commander Bob Monk explained that the [nearly] annual event “is a lot of work. July can be a hard time to have activities because of vacations, but it’s almost every year.”

Caribou Couty Search and Rescue has approximately twenty-five volunteers throughout the year, with “guys that are here mostly in the summertime, and then guys that ride snow machines who are a little more active in the winter time,” Monk says.

The group is all volunteer.  “We have an annual budget [through the county] but we use the salmon feed donations to buy additional gear.” 

Monk pointed out some of the equipment that was on hand at the park.  “The two bikes are from last year.  Bayer donated a bunch of repeater equipment,” he says, pointing to the mobile radio gear, along with its trailer and generator.  “We’re able to hook that onto a four wheeler and take it up to a high point so that we can talk to each other.”  

The repeater allows Search and Rescue to expand the area of their communication network, which is essential during wildland rescues.  “If we were up on Soda point and we needed to go down through Grace Valley or out to Bancroft, we could get there.  Our main repeaters are at Black Mountain, and Sedgewick, and one up on Simplot.  If we can’t hit those repeaters, we can’t communicate.”

As a volunteer force, it’s important to have enough people at any one time for a mobilized response.  “When we have an emergency, a page goes out and whoever can responds.  We have a lot of people who work at the mines and the plants.  The companies are great to let them go, but sometimes we only have five people who can show up,” Monk says.

“We’ll help Bear Lake County, Bannock County, Bonneville.  Especially if it’s on the border of the county we’ll come together and help each other.  Like the avalanche we had up in Eight Mile--Bear Lake and Caribou County came together for that.”

Monk himself uses his work training to improve and refine his volunteer work.  “Between Itafos, Degerstrom, Bayer, Turner, I run trench and high angle [technical rescue] classes, and then I invite some of the county folks to come out to do that training, which helps me on this team.”

Mine and plant safety work has also provided some models for equipment use with Search and Rescue.  “Our rope gear, for instance—we kind of took what we have at the plant and mirrored it.  We’re basically at the end of the life expectancy of those so we’re going to be looking at replacing them soon, along with the harnesses and other equipment.”

Anyone who wants to donate funds to the Search and Rescue team is encouraged to do so directly through the Sheriff’s Office, making sure to indicate that it is intended to go to that purpose.  

“If people want to volunteer they just need to fill out an application.  They don’t need to have four-wheelers, dirt bikes, that kind of stuff.  If we have a mass search, we just organize and go.  We had a program called Caribou Highlanders which is on the back burner right now.  It is Caribou County wide.  If you were a farmer, we might ask you bring your harrows and make a fireline.  People with special equipment, we call on to do different things, and people responded really well.”

A background check through the Sheriff’s Office is required, but otherwise there are no specific requirements for volunteers.  

“Like Walt over there,” Monk says, pointing at DJ Walt Kuchler.  “He takes care of the equipment—makes sure the oil is changed and the tires are good.  If something needs to be done on the radio system, he gets ahold of the local contractor and gets it fixed.”

“If anyone wants to volunteer, please do,” Monk says.  “We live in a great community. We’re pretty small.  We’re not big like Bannock or Franklin county, and we don’t have as big a pool of people to pull from.”  At the same time, Caribou County has a lot of unpopulated wildland.

“Our busy seasons are in the winter and fall.”  This is partly due to hunters, many from out of the state.        

Raffle items and general sponsorship were provided by Bayer, Itafos, Liberty CDJR, Point S, Barrie’s Sports, JR Simplot, Keiwit, Bisco, Porter’s Pub, A+ Automotive, The Flower Box, NA Degerstrom, Dave’s Tackle, MR&E, Lallatins, Bear River Chiropractic, Coke, Dirt Bag Ranch, The Alley, Quik Stop, Main Street Diner, Garth Monroe, CAT, Denny Lee’s Tire, Gritton’s, Soda Springs Animal Clinic, Jensen Lumber, SAT, Valley Implement, Wicked Brew, Caribou Memorial Hospital, Vaughn Smith Construction, Lott Builders, Caribou Lodge, Troy Vario, Bucket O’Balls, Grumpy Guys Pizza. 

In conjunction with the event, members of the Main Street Cruisers were on site with raffle tickets to support Sheri Allen Rider, who was chosen for this year’s “Cruise for a Cause.”  The Cruise will take place in Soda Springs on August 16 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Funds raised will be used to help defray Sheri’s ongoing medical expenses.  

Raffle items include a Kimber Micro 9 Rapide Pistol donated by Gritton’s, a lifetime Kayak donated by the Caribou Couty Fraternal Order of Police Lodge, and a Honda Gullwing 20th anniversary Gold Edition Motorcycle donated by Travis Kunz, CPA, PC.  Tickets for the pistol and kayak are $5 each or $20 for 5, and tickets for the motorcycle are $10 or $100 for 12.  

Hamburgers and drinks will be available by donation courtesy of Liberty CDJR and Caribou Ford.

More information will be provided before the August 16th cruise, but for now tickets can be purchased at Custom Iron Works, or by contacting Dan Squires (208-540-2436), Jen Squires (208-339-4825), Ryan Carpenter
(208-280-1429), or Lanae Carpenter (208-308-0584).