PHOENIX — Public safety agencies in northern Arizona have added an impressive new tool to their search and rescue arsenal: an amphibious all-terrain utility vehicle called the Shelp.
Shelp will assist the Coconino County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) in saving lives in the nation's second largest county by area. stated in a press release Thursday.
With its boxy shape and enormous tires, the Sherp can boldly go where other rescue vehicles can't.
It doesn't matter if it's rocky or sandy.
Frozen ground? Forget the snowcat. Sherp rescue vehicles are faster and can reach further.
The new vehicle can also travel on rural roads that are normally impassable after heavy rain or snow.
How did Coconino County pay for the Shelp rescue vehicle?
According to CCSO, search and rescue teams complete 140 to 150 missions a year, about 90 percent of which take place on remote, federally managed public lands.
Coconino County, which includes Flagstaff, paid for Shelp using part of $525,000 awarded by the state Legislature in 2023 to bolster search and rescue efforts.
CCSO said the funds also went towards replacing the mobile incident command trailer, new satellite communications equipment, new small unmanned aerial systems and technical rescue equipment.
