Davis County search-and-rescue asks for flat $61,009 operating budget and $20,000 capital for ATV/snowmobile turnover

AJ Sanano, commander of Davis County Search and Rescue, told the Davis County Budget Committee that the team is requesting a flat operating budget of $61,009.40 for 2026 and an additional capital allocation of about $20,000 to cover the county’s share of replacing all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles.

Sanano said the search-and-rescue team has about 40 operational members and roughly 50 members total, and that the membership pipeline is rigorous — typically about a year from application to full qualification. He said the team is seeing strong community interest, with “almost 55 applications” collected for the next training cycle.

“The county support has helped remove the financial barrier to participation,” Sanano said, describing a past era when volunteers provided most of their own gear. He said outfitting a new member previously could cost “in the a couple…