Coconino County is the second largest county in the United States, which brings many challenges for the Sheriff's Office. In 2023, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office received a $525,000 grant from the Arizona Legislature to address some of these challenges.

• Coconino County Sheriff's Office personnel stand proudly in front of the office's new Sherp. The Sherp is an amphibious all-terrain utility vehicle used by search and rescue teams for rescue operations in Coconino County's diverse and challenging terrain and weather conditions.

• Photo courtesy of Coconino County Sheriff's Office.

Part of that prize money was used to purchase a vehicle called a Sherp, an amphibious all-terrain utility vehicle used by search and rescue teams for rescue operations in a variety of challenging terrains and weather conditions in Coconino County. Other funds from the prize money were used to purchase a replacement mobile incident command trailer, new satellite communications equipment, a new small unmanned aerial system and technical rescue equipment.

Our search and rescue units complete 140-150 missions each year. Approximately 90 percent of search and rescue missions occur on remote, federally managed public lands. Rapid identification and access to missing or injured people saves lives.

The addition of this vehicle will provide the Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue with a vehicle that can access difficult locations such as rural residential areas where roads become impassable after heavy rain or snow, as well as rocky, sandy areas, partially frozen lakes and backcountry areas that are difficult to access due to snow and ice. The vehicle is faster than a SnowCat and can operate in locations where a SnowCat cannot be deployed.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Arizona Legislature for their support in these life-saving efforts.