Nye County Sheriff promotes fundraiser for Southern Nye Search and Rescue

With only $1,043 raised from 38 donations toward a $50,000 goal, Southern Nye County Search and Rescue is asking Nye County residents to help keep radios, fuel, vehicle repairs and rescue gear ready across a county that covers about 18,181.9 square miles. The volunteer unit is based at 306 N. Hwy 160 in Pahrump, behind the fire station, and serves as the sheriff’s search-and-rescue arm.

The fundraising push follows the Nye County Sheriff’s Office’s April 10 promotion of the effort, underscoring that search and rescue in rural Nye County is part of daily public safety, not a side service. Southern Nye County Search and Rescue, Inc. was filed in Nevada on March 9, 2001, and public registry summaries list Ron Taylor as president, Isela Smith as treasurer and Diane M. Colbary as secretary. Other listed contacts include Bradley Abbatte, Donald Eisen, Ed Papola, Samantha Fyffe and registered agent Kevin Mellinger.

Public summaries describe the unit as having more than 40 active members, but the team still relies heavily on fundraising because county funding is limited. On its materials, the organization says it is directed by the Nye County Sheriff and is activated only by the sheriff. Donations help cover the equipment and upkeep that keep volunteers mission-ready, including personal protective equipment, radios, communications gear, vehicle maintenance, fuel, training and insurance.

That financial pressure matters in a county that is one of the largest in the lower 48 by land area. When help has to travel long distances from Pahrump to remote roads and desert terrain, delays can stretch a response and put more strain on volunteers who may already be working with worn gear or aging vehicles. The sheriff’s office has also recently moved ahead with county-funded public-safety purchases, including mobile data terminals, replacement tasers, SWAT body armor and FARO scanners, but those upgrades do not replace the need for a separate rescue budget.

Southern Nye County Search and Rescue has kept up a steady schedule of local fundraisers and outreach, including a Feb. 12 orientation meeting and a Feb. 15 bowling fundraiser this year. The current Donorbox campaign gives residents a direct way to support the team’s readiness, and the gap between the money raised so far and the $50,000 target shows how much equipment and operating support still has to be covered before the next call for help comes in.