The Box Elder County Sheriff's Search & Rescue was originally created in 1960 by a group of individuals with Jeeps and good intentions who wanted to help others. Originally the group was known as the Off Highway Patrol and worked under the Utah Highway Patrol. Eventually the Box Elder County Sheriff's Department realized what an asset the Patrol was and invited the group to join them, at that time the name was changed to the Box Elder County Sheriff's Jeep Patrol. Eventually as the popularity of Jeeps dwindled the name was changed to the Box Elder County Sheriff's Search and Rescue.
Box Elder County is one of the largest counties in the State of Utah with about 5,700 square miles that include mountains, desert and a good portion of the Great Salt Lake. We have almost every conceivable rescue situation possible in our county. We train in desert survival, high angle rescue, avalanche and cold related emergencies. Our searches range from overdue parties in the desert, children who have wandered away from camp to snowmobiler's and ATV enthusiasts in the mountains to the East and hunters to the West.
We average 12 search and/or rescues each year. We have up to 35 active members each of who are required to have a four wheel drive vehicle outfitted with two-way radios and equipped with their own survival gear. As a Patrol we have a 27' Command Center, a Snow Cat, several ATV's and snowmobiles, and Orion rescue sled with wheels and skis plus two squad rescue trucks one equipped with rescue gear the other with a light plant and generator.
Box Elder County Sheriff Lynn Yeates points out that "our Search & Rescue members are hardworking, highly motivated people who donate thousands of hours to the citizens of our county, furnishing their own equipment in the service of others."
Every year Box Elder County Search & Rescue hosts a Desert Survival Seminar that several members of surrounding Search and Rescues Teams attend. We take the time to get to know each other and train in several different areas of rescue and search techniques.
2008 Officers
· Box Elder County Sheriff: Lynn Yeates
· Commander: Nate Christensen
· 1st Captain: Kirk Ward
· 2nd Captain: JR Parsons
· Quartermaster: Brandon Jacobsen
· Treasurer: Kevin Terry
· Secretary: Bruce Anderson
