archive
|
|
John Miller"Search is an emergency," says John Miller, coordinator of the Lane County Sheriff's Office volunteer Search and Rescue Program. "It's a fallacy that you have to wait 24 hours before reporting a missing person. You should call when you're concerned." The only full-time staffer at SAR, Miller is on call 24/7 for all but six days a month. He responds to 80 to 115 incidents per year. A Eugene native and Sheldon High grad, Miller saw combat in Viet Nam, then went to work for El-Jay Manufacturing in Springfield. He spent his spare time hiking, skiing, and especially mountaineering. "I volunteered with Eugene Mountain Rescue for 12 years," he says. "In 1994 I was given the opportunity to do this job." When a report comes in, Miller can call on any of eight specialized SAR units, including mountain rescue, water rescue, a dog search team, and Explorer Post 178. He spends a third of his time training and testing volunteers, both within Oregon and outside the state. To learn about SAR volunteer opportunities, visit LaneSheriff.org and look for Search and Rescue.
|
contact