With KSJD News, I’m LP McKay
Montezuma County Search and Rescue is asking the Town of Dolores to consider making town property available for a local base.
At Monday’s town board meeting, team leaders said their equipment is currently stored at the Cortez airport. That can add as much as an hour to response time for some calls, depending on where team members are in proximity to needed equipment and the location of a rescue call.
The organization’s Vice President Vicky Schaefer and medical officer Andy Henrichs said a base closer to Dolores could centralize equipment, training and maintenance near the forest and recreation areas that have higher rates of incidents. They estimated it could cut response times by 30 to 60 minutes in some cases.
The team asked the town to consider a lease, donation or other arrangement for one of two town-owned properties. It said a site along Highway 184 would be its preference.
The board voiced interest in exploring the proposal, but made no decision. Town officials said they would need to review the current uses for the properties in question and possible associated costs before deciding what might work.
Montezuma County Search and Rescue is a volunteer organization that responds to calls under the authority of the county sheriff’s office.
This is KSJD.
