Florence, Ariz. – The Arizona Search and Rescue Coordinators Association has awarded Sonoran Search and Rescue the Volunteer Unit of the Year Award.

This award recognizes a group of volunteers, who, working as a team, have contributed to the accomplishment of detailed, difficult, and multi-faceted search and rescue operations.

The members of Sonoran Search and Rescue exemplify teamwork, professional attitudes and remarkable problem solving abilities. Individually, each of these volunteers performs above and beyond their required duties. Together, they work as a unified team who maintain levels of expertise well above State standards. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office is happy to recognize the tireless efforts of these outstanding volunteers.

Sonoran Search and Rescue was formed in January of 1996 as a not-for-profit, volunteer search and rescue organization affiliated with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. The team was founded by Cindy Harris, Marla Villa and Louis Villa. “There was a need in our County for an organization willing to work hand in hand with the Sheriff’s Office and thus Sonoran Search and Rescue was formed. We have worked hard and established a level of excellence and dedication that we continuously strive to maintain” said Sonoran SAR Coordinator Louie Villa.

Members of the Sonoran Search and Rescue team function as a tight-knit, versatile team of volunteers. The unit specializes in providing a highly effective Human-Tracking and K9 Search and Rescue resource within Pinal County and throughout the State of Arizona. Team members are skilled in diving, wilderness first aid, orienteering and land navigation, technical rescue, desert survival, and have attained certification as National Association of Search and Rescue, Search and Rescue Tech II Rescue Technicians.

Sonoran is one of only a few Search and Rescue Teams that is NIMS type 2 compliant. NIMS, the first-ever standardized approach to incident management and response was developed by the Department of Homeland Security and released in March 2004. It establishes a uniform set of processes and procedures that emergency responders at all levels of government will use to conduct response operations. These skills enable team members to, safely and efficiently, search for overdue hikers, individuals who may have encountered wilderness related problems or those who may have wandered away due to physical, emotional or diminished mental capacities.

Members of Sonoran Search and Rescue do not limit the services they provide to Pinal County. They have responded to requests for assistance from not only the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office but also the Gila River and Tohono O’Odham Indian Nations, FBI, INS, Arizona Department of Emergency Services and Sheriff’s Office’s throughout the state of Arizona.

Sheriff Babeu said, "I'm very proud of all our volunteers, yet Sonoran Search and Rescue have shown themselves to be the very best in the entire state. Their professionalism and disciplined work ethic is commendable. Sonoran is the role model for all our volunteer organizations."

On December 1, 2009 Sonoran Search and Rescue is transitioning into the Pinal County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Posse. All members of Sonoran Search and Rescue and Superstition Search and Rescue have been invited to transition into one unified group to ensure highly trained SAR technicians, the best equipment and resources are available within the communities we serve. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) will be developed and implemented for consistent training and enhanced emergency response. “Much time has been spent by these volunteer organizations raising needed donations from the community, thus taking away from precious training opportunities,” said Lt. Tamatha Villar, Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson. "Financial funding will be afforded by the Sheriff to purchase critical SAR equipment and to allow complete focus on quality training."

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office invites any members of the public who may be interested in working with the Pinal County Search and Rescue Posse to apply to become a volunteer at www.pinaljobs.com.

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