Residents push to form Cleburne County volunteer rescue squad, recruiters seek 10 members and training

Residents and volunteer rescuers on Monday outlined plans to form a Cleburne County volunteer search-and-rescue squad, describing training, equipment costs and mutual-aid support that organizers say would speed responses to missing-person calls on the county's trails.

Organizers said Cleburne County's mix of forested public land and outdoor tourism creates recurring search needs and that local capacity would reduce response times. "If you picture it's 2:00 in the morning, it's cold outside, it's raining, and ... your child is missing," Speaker 2 said, urging residents to consider how much they would pay for trained local responders.

The meeting featured speakers from a statewide association who said the group can supply or coordinate resources including K9 teams, divers, drone operators and training. Speaker 2 said the association fields roughly 120 dog teams overall and that about 14 teams operate in the region and could be called in to assist local searches.

Organizers said joining the statewide association requires a minimum of 10 members for a local squad and reported an association fee of about $250 for that base membership; they also said workers' compensation coverage would be available through association membership. "To get voted in to the ARS ... we're looking at $250 and that's for 10 people for the minimum," Speaker 1 said.

Speakers described training that will be offered free to members through the association, including an Emergency Medical First Responder (EMFR) course scheduled for February–March that organizers said results in a nationwide certificate after passing the required exam. Several routine training items were cited as no-cost or low-cost to members: a CPR card fee was described as about $8, and a remote-drone pilot exam was mentioned as roughly $150.

The presenters emphasized that not every member must be a front-line searcher. "There's something for everybody," Speaker 2 said, explaining volunteers can perform behind-the-scenes roles such as fundraising, vehicle maintenance, logistics, and post-search support.

Funding and insurance were raised as constraints. Speaker 2 said rescue squads are not funded by the state and rely primarily on donations, fundraising and grants, and he noted specialized rescue equipment can be expensive — for example, a stretcher or "stokes" basket was listed in the meeting as typically costing $1,000 to $3,000.

Local officials were reported as supportive. Speaker 1 said he had spoken with Mr. John Daniel and Chief Deputy Patrick Nolan, who were described as "very supportive" of moving forward. The group also discussed partnership potential with U.S. Forest Service units; Adam Diesinger said roughly one-third of the county is national forest and that the Shoal Creek and Talladega ranger districts could be interested partners.

A demonstration portion of the meeting featured Dave Brownell and his dog, Daisy. Brownell said Daisy, trained for search tasks, located a target in a timed scenario in 3½ minutes — an example organizers used to show how trained K9 teams can shorten search time.

Organizers encouraged residents to sign applications at a table after the meeting and said they aim to complete association enrollment and begin schedules for training in the coming weeks. No formal vote or government action was taken during the meeting; the group said next steps include recruiting at least 10 members and finalizing association membership details.