Unsung heroes: Hill County Search and Rescue looking for volunteers

The Hill County Search and Rescue president said the organization needs more volunteers to be able to effectively carry out its operations.

Hill County Search and Rescue, or SAR, was founded in 1988 and stands by its motto, "These things we do so that others may live."

"We're the nicest group of people you never want to meet because if we're there, something's gone extremely bad in your day," SAR President Paul Nugent said

Nugent started work in the Hill County Sheriff"s Office in the 1990s and joined the SAR team back then. He said he has also spent time with the state SAR and has been a training officer, vice commander and commander.

SAR is a nonprofit organization and receives money through fundraisers and donations. Nugent said the volunteers come from various backgrounds and can receive various types of training, such as diver training.

The sheriff's office is in charge of SAR's operations and has a liaison that coordinates tasks between the two organization, Nugent added.

"You couldn't just call me and say, 'Hey I need help finding my friend.' It has to go through the sheriff. The sheriff has to OK it for us to go out," he said.

Once an application is received, Nugent said, they perform a background check on the individual "just to make sure that we're getting the type of people that we want."

Nugent said they will usually come up with training scenarios for SAR members to practice what they've learned. The training operations are carried out in various parts of Hill County such as Fresno Reservoir, Beaver Creek and on lakes in boats.

SAR members also receive training on how to work the radios and on incident command systems.

"So that everybody understands that, when you get out to a scene, there's going to be one person in charge," Nugent said. "That person will tell other people as to how it breaks down."

SAR has assisted with drownings, but Nugent said the "unfortunate part about that is usually by the time we get there, what we're doing is recovering a body."

He added they have received calls to assist on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation and in Blaine County, as well, but can work anywhere in the state.

One assignment that Nugent said he remembers well is when SAR got called in to assist in looking for a woman with Alzheimer's who had walked away from a care center. SAR eventually found the woman at a neighbor's house.

Nugent said he tries not to keep SAR members on an operation for no more than 12 hours.

"You can only stay alert and active for a certain amount of time," he added.

Once they hit the 12-hour mark, another member is rotated in. SAR also works in teams of two. Nugent said he tends to pair up a more experienced person with a less experienced person.

"Everything that we do, it's always, we want safety first," he added.

Other activities for SAR include directing traffic for various races or walks in Hill County.

Nugent said they receive a high volume of requests for assistance during summer because "people are out and about and people do things that they normally wouldn't do."

Nugent said fundraising opportunities for SAR have included Pizza Hut fundraisers and selling stuffed toys of their mascot, Rupert the Bear.

The funds, Nugent added, go toward paying for equipment and training for SAR members. For example, he said, SAR will cover half the cost of diver training.

SAR also receives some equipment via donation.

SAR has four four-wheelers that were donated from the U.S. Border Patrol and, Nugent said, they even have a couple of drones which were donated as well.

Nugent said SAR members receive training on the vehicles, as well, and the organization recently paid half the cost to have two members earn certification to fly the drones.

"Unfortunately, since Search and Rescue owns them, you have to have them flown by a certified drone pilot," he added.

Along with the four-wheelers and drones, SAR has two boats, a Suburban and a 26-foot trailer for equipment.

For anyone considering Hill County Search and Rescue who is hesitant about recovering bodies, Nugent said, there are other ways to help out.

"We always need somebody to sit there and monitor the radio and write down everything that's coming over the radio," he added. "Getting people signed in. Work with the incident commander so that he knows what's going on with some of the outlying stuff. So there's a lot of other things that we need."

Nugent said family comes first with him and he understands if people can't come in due to family matters.

"We only ask you to do what you can do," he added.

While it may seem difficult to find bodies, Nugent said, he believes SAR is still helping out the community in that way.

"A lot of what we do is not the bad things of going out and looking for bodies, but even that takes a big weight off of a family's shoulders when they know where their loved ones are at," he said.

Nugent said people who are interested in Hill County Search and Rescue can come to the next meeting Jan. 16 in the court room of the Hill County Detention Center at 7 p.m.