Volunteers to the rescue

Power outages, wildfires, and the occasional deluge are all part and parcel of summer in Carson Valley.

While there are many folks affected by the emergencies both minor and major that often occur in the Valley, only a few chose to spend their time on the front line when trouble comes to call.

Those are the volunteers who join such organizations as search and rescue, mounted posse, volunteer firefighters and medics.

It's these folks who get the call when things go awry. They don't spend their summers on the deck watching the helicopters drop loads of water on a fire, or fish as rescue boats go into the water.

They're out helping when things go wrong. Not a week goes by without one of our emergency volunteer groups getting a call to help firefighters or sheriff's deputies or both.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Search and Rescue is seeking volunteers to participate in their upcoming academy on Aug. 6. Check their Web site at www.douglassar.org for more information.

You can find out more about the sheriff's mounted posse at www.dcsmposse.com.

And to support your local fire department, check with www.eastforkfire.org to find out how to volunteer.

For those with less adventurous tendencies, there are lots of opportunities. We suggest looking up Active Volunteers in Douglas at douglasvolunteers.org, or checking with one of the Valley's many service clubs.