04/01/2026
Over the last several days I have received a lot of inquiries regarding relationships between local Chaffee County search and rescue teams, Colorado Search and Rescue (CSAR), County Sheriff’s of Colorado (CSOC) and Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife (CPW). I will try my best to address all the emails and phone calls I got as quickly as possible, but I wanted to make sure I put out a statement to those of you that have not yet reached out with questions and concerns about a lapse in service provided by our search and rescue teams.
I want you to know that the Sheriff’s Office and our local volunteer Search and Rescue teams are aware of some changes coming to Search and Rescue with state involvement (CPW), but these changes should not be a concern to our local community or our thousands of visitors every year. It is business as usual and I can assure you that you are in great hands with our local teams. The resources we need are still here, still available and you can rest assured that we will be there when or if you ever need us. We will not allow there to be a gap in providing services for you. Please continue to enjoy our beautiful back country without fear that no one will come to help if you are in need.
I can proudly say that we have the best teams in the State of Colorado working for you right here in Chaffee County. Our volunteers are highly trained and have dedication to their job that other Sheriff’s and communities are jealous of.
CPW will be taking on a more active role in the future by helping to provide resources for our local teams. We cherish our relationship with CPW and the help they provide us when the need arises. But the authority of the missions still resides with the Sheriff’s Office and our local teams. CSAR has also been beneficial to us in the past by assisting with resources and we cherish our relationship with them as well.
Again, none of this will affect us accomplishing rescue missions when needed. Resources are not going away; we just may need to funnel the request in different ways. Our teams will make it work and we will all prepare ahead of time so there is no lapse in coverage.
I would also like to take this opportunity for an early shout out to our local search and rescue teams as National Volunteer Week (April 19-25) approaches. We have around one hundred volunteers under the umbrella of my office that give up their own time to be a part of our search and rescue teams. They are amazing people who have such care and compassion for their community. They put themselves in dangerous situations to assist those in need daily. They are funded, largely, by donations and a lot out of their own pockets. We all owe you, our family and team members, a ton of gratitude, and we are so lucky to have you. Our community and our thousands of visitors every year are in such great hands. -Sheriff Andy Rohrich
