Making a difference: Findlay presents Search and Rescue with $10,500

Findlay Automotive of Utah presents Washington County Sheriff Cory Pulsipher with a $10,500 check for Search and Rescue, St. George, Utah, July 31, 2014 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News

WASHINGTON COUNTY – Findlay Automotive of Utah presented Washington County Sheriff Cory Pulsipher with a $10,500 check Thursday afternoon that will benefit all of Washington County. The money was raised for the Washington County Sheriff Search and Rescue Ground Team at the Fourth Annual Findlay Charity Golf Tournament, which took place in June.

“It’s neat because all of those guys are volunteers,” Rick Berry of Findlay Automotive said. “They’re giving their time and they’re risking their lives for somebody else that they don’t even know – a stranger – and the least we can do is outfit them properly.”

Findlay Automotive of Utah presented Washington County Sheriff Cory Pulsipher with a $10,500 check for Search and Rescue at Findlay Subaru, St. George, Utah, July 31, 2014 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
Findlay Automotive of Utah presents Washington County Sheriff Cory Pulsipher with a $10,500 check for Search and Rescue, St. George, Utah, July 31, 2014 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News

Washington County Search and Rescue is an extension of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Both agencies typically respond to rescue operations together and support one another. However, Search and Rescue is a volunteer organization. All of its members are unpaid and provide their own equipment, from radios and GPS units to climbing gear and vehicles.

With specialized training and equipment, the versatile Search and Rescue team provides services that other public safety agencies cannot. Some members have expertise in a specific type of rescue, such as rope, ground or swift water, and some are divers.

“I tell you, without the support of our local businesses and what they do to help us, and without my volunteers, I could not do the job,” Pulsipher said. “I don’t have the manpower, the expertise or the money to do it, so this is huge for me.”

The duties of Search and Rescue members are numerous and challenging. The team responds to a variety of emergency situations in both rural and urban settings, helping locate missing persons and downed aircraft; recovering stranded vehicles; aiding in the safe recovery of persons lost or injured in the wilderness, remote areas and large bodies of water; and assisting law enforcement with the recovery of human remains.

St. George City Mayor Jon Pike and Washington County Sheriff Cory Pulsipher at Findlay Subaru, St. George, Utah, July 31, 2014 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News
St. George City Mayor Jon Pike and Washington County Sheriff Cory Pulsipher at Findlay Subaru, St. George, Utah, July 31, 2014 | Photo by Kimberly Scott, St. George News

St. George Mayor Jon Pike arranged his schedule so he could attend the event and show his support and appreciation for the Search and Rescue Team as well as his gratitude to Findlay for making a difference and recognizing the needs of Search and Rescue.

“I’m thrilled that we have such an awesome Search and Rescue Team that can do these difficult rescues in situations where these are life-and-death situations, where it’s got to be all hands on deck and people who are willing to sacrifice their time and use equipment that will get them into very remote areas,” Pike said. “That’s why I’m here today is to support them, because even though this doesn’t come out of my budget, so to speak, it’s all about everyone in Washington County.”

Pike said he’s in favor of anything that helps Dixie and the people of Dixie.

The Tournament

Since the Findlay Charity Golf Tournament’s inception four years ago, Findlay has raised more than $27,000 for Washington County Search and Rescue.

When Findlay decided to host the tournament, as a way of giving back to the community, the company looked at several different types of charities before deciding on the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue.

“We found that all their supplies and equipment and everything are through donations and that’s the only way they can operate,” Berry said, “and obviously, as you know living in Southern Utah, there’s a big need for that between Zion and so many places people are getting stranded. They’re called out much more than anybody knows. So we picked that as our charity. It’s just kind of grown from there.”

The Search and Rescue team rarely works under ideal conditions. Members face many perils while conducting rescue missions that are oftentimes dangerous and conducted in extreme weather conditions in desolate areas of the county. For search and rescue teams in Washington County, it’s not a question of if, but when, they will be needed.

“I’ve been involved with Search and Rescue since I started my career back in 1987,” Pulsipher said. “It’s been probably the highlight of my entire career being able to work with these volunteers, and then to see this kind of support from the community come back in supporting those guys that are willing to do this – it’s just amazing to me.”

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4 Comments

  • Bob July 31, 2014 at 8:57 pm

    Well deserved and much needed funds to a good organization WC SAR.

  • Paul August 1, 2014 at 12:32 am

    Great story. What a community!

  • Incognegro (Josh Dalton) August 1, 2014 at 8:05 am

    I am proud to be part of The Findlay Automotive Group!

  • leinani45 August 1, 2014 at 9:14 am

    So glad I work for a company that gives back to the community! Way to go Findlay!

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