It’s no secret that Bozeman is surrounded by an outdoor playground. Rivers, mountains, snow — there’s something for everyone, and more and more people are taking advantage of it.
But even the most experienced and prepared of outdoor adventurers can get in trouble in the backcountry. When that happens, the Gallatin County Search and Rescue Team responds.
The team’s annual report for 2022 shows that it has seen the impacts the increasing popularity of outdoor recreation. Its members carried out 140 missions last year. That’s the most since at least 2003, and it was the fourth consecutive year the number of missions rose.
As the calendar turned to 2023, the action didn’t slow down. A quick look at search and rescue’s Facebook page shows that already this year, the team has been busy with lost snowmobilers and injured skiers.
All that calls for a reminder that we should be extremely grateful for the search and rescue team.
An arm of the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, the team tackles a wide variety of rescue missions in all seasons. For rescues deep in the mountains, they might deploy a helicopter. A river rescue might require a dive team. Dogs and drones are ready to help, too.
Last year was the first full year the team had with its new structure, which includes three full time employees. That came after voters supported a tax increase in 2020 to give the organization a better funding structure. The addition of those employees was surely necessary.
But beyond those three employees, though, the team is made up entirely of volunteers — 157 of them, to be exact. That’s 157 people who are ready to interrupt their own lives to help complete strangers in dangerous situations.
It’s a big commitment. The annual report showed that volunteers spent nearly 5,000 hours on missions in 2022 and nearly 10,000 hours taking part in trainings.
This editorial solely represents the opinion of the Chronicle Editorial Board. The board consists of the managing editor, the publisher and several community members. The community members are non-journalists who provide input and help shape the board's opinions.
The board does not represent the views of the newsroom, and its opinions have no influence over the Chronicle's news coverage. To submit feedback on this editorial, email citydesk@dailychronicle.com.
Editorial Board
Mark Dobie, publisher
Michael Wright, managing editor
Richard Broome, community member
Renee Gavin, community member
Charles Rinker, community member
Will Swearingen, community member
Angie Wasia, community member
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