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Board accepts donated Ford F‑550 rescue truck for sheriff’s search and rescue unit
Summary
Coconino County supervisors unanimously approved accepting a donated 2025 Ford F‑550 Super Duty truck, funded by volunteer and foundation donations, to support technical search and rescue operations and equipment transport.
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Oct. 1 to accept donation of a 2025 Ford F‑550 Super Duty rescue truck to the sheriff's office search and rescue (SAR) program.
Sheriff Brett Axland told the board the vehicle was financed through donations and grants and was custom built to transport personnel and technical rescue equipment. "This truck has been custom built for transporting personnel and rescue equipment related to technical rescue," he said, naming donor organizations and individuals including the Del Webb Foundation ($150,000), the Joshua Foundation ($125,000), Core Construction ($10,000) and more than $32,000 raised by SAR volunteers.
Why it matters: The sheriff’s office described SAR as a volunteer‑heavy operation that responded to roughly 125–150 missions annually, logged more than 12,000 volunteer hours and recorded approximately 184 assists per year, with roughly 10% considered life‑saves. The new truck will be used for remote and technical responses that require transporting specialized equipment and personnel into hard‑to‑reach areas.
Board action: Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez moved to accept the donation; the motion passed unanimously.
Quote from sheriff’s office: "Our SAR has to respond to those, and they need reliable equipment, to be able to get to them," Sheriff Brett Axland said, describing recent callouts and the need for specialized transport.
Next steps: County staff will coordinate vehicle acceptance and formalize operating details with the sheriff’s search and rescue volunteers.
