Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue seeks donations to get new equipment

SNOHOMISH, Wash. -- The Snohomish County Vounteer Search and Rescue teams are the ones you know you can count on.

But what if their equipment prevented them from doing their jobs and saving lives?

They don't want to be in that situation. And that's why this time they are asking for your help.

If you`re in a life or death situation, David Johnston may very well be the one to show up and help you out.

"You know, when somebody's life is in danger, trying to get somewhere soon enough, um, it's difficult," he said.

But what if the heroes were hard to reach?



Members of this volunteer unit are the ones in need of some help -- their equipment has seen better days.

Right now, what they desperately need is a new incident command vehicle.

They`re fund raising as best they can. But the dollars just aren`t coming in quick enough.

"The search and rescuers are the ones that go out and get the people out of the predicament that they are in."

This group of volunteers on the ground are a part of the same team that saved so many after the Oso mudslide. Who could forget the rescue of little 5-year-old Jacob, plucked from the mud after his home was destroyed?

"The idea is work. Then family. Then search and rescue."

In order to continue their work saving lives, safely, Johnston said they need to replace their worn-out equipment.

"Once you start figuring out the radios, the communications, all the technology we have to have, keep track of everything we do in the field, it adds up very quickly," he said.

To add to the concern -- fall and winter are just around the corner

The last thing the team wants to do it is risk their own lives if they get stuck in bad conditions. But when a life is on the line, who can put a price tag on rescuers?

"Like I said, we are on duty 24/7, 365 (days), so if we get a mission in the middle of winter, it's gotta go."

The unit spends an average of 5,000 hours on 125 missions per year.

In addition to search and rescue, they also help out with natural disaster management.

If you'd like to help, click here for the rescue unit's gofundme account.