Shaun Roundy, Utah County Sheriff Search and Rescue, MRA Intermountain Region Chair
Remember your early years in search and rescue? Remember the energy, the enthusiasm, the eagerness to learn, the hunger to do and see and experience absolutely everything? My teammate J.T. Ferrin—an energetic, second-year recruit—recently coined a perfect term for such volunteers: SAR puppies.
The name came up in a conversation about hosting a car-show fundraiser for the team. “We have gear we want to buy, don’t we?” he asked. “People love us and would gladly support us, won’t they? Why not let some of us SAR puppies make this happen?”
You SAR veterans—the old dogs, and I confess to being one of those myself—may shake your heads slowly and point out that fundraisers take a lot of work. There’s the planning, marketing, staffing, up-front costs, permits, insurance. We already ask a lot from our volunteers and we’d rather use their discretionary time for rescue missions. Wouldn’t it be easier to just write a few letters to large corporations and let them cut us a check?
This article’s purpose is not to debate the merits of fundraisers versus writing letters. It’s to point out that you may not be making the most of the endless enthusiasm of your SAR puppies, and that maybe you should reconsider.
I’m pleased to report that the car show, now branded as a community awareness event, took place October 12, before one of the county’s biggest high school-rival football games. An Apache helicopter flew in; some of our vehicles and gear were on display. We also had a silent auction that featured a generous amount of gear donated by local and national outdoor brands. Thanks to outstanding preparation by Ferrin, our fundraising chair Andrew Titensor, and others, this event was a success.
I created our team’s website 16 years ago as an eager second-year SAR puppy, and now Tim Berrett, a third-year SAR puppy, has set up team Facebook and Instagram accounts. I pitched the same idea about 10 years ago, but our leadership at the time— or at least the county attorneys—was hesitant and cautious about liabilities. Now the pages’ popularity is growing rapidly. Berrett does a great job of posting mission reports and photos. It’s an ideal way to connect with the public, and social media will surely prove to be one of our best instruments for non-mission priorities, including preventive search and rescue (P-SAR), fundraising, and recruiting.
If you feel nervous about your newer recruits representing your team differently than perhaps you would, then step up and provide some leadership. But don’t smother their contribution completely. Yes, you’ve proven your dedication and made this team yours. But it’s not yours alone. It’s their team, too, and they’ll carry it forward long after you’re gone.
So use your SAR puppies for what they’re good for: Enthusiasm. Vision. Getting things done. Let them build their team pride and sense of ownership. Give them some guidance and let them run. Let them make your team even better before it’s too late, before they grow up and become like us.
