Commission data shows COVID-era spike in search-and-rescue incidents; funding and reimbursement remain limited

The Utah Outdoor Adventure Commission heard an analysis of search-and-rescue trends that showed a substantial spike during the COVID period and uneven county-level patterns, and commissioners discussed whether state funding and reimbursement processes meet operational needs.

Jordan, who presented the analysis, said the team used county sheriff reports submitted to the Division of Emergency Management to examine incidents and reimbursements from 1999 through 2021. "These data are reported by county sheriff's offices," Jordan said, noting the dataset includes training and reimbursable incidents as counties submit them to the division.

Jordan reported that, while many counties show roughly a 50/50 split between county residents and nonresidents in search-and-rescue victims, counties with small resident populations and high visitor numbers—such as Garfield and Grand counties—stand out for having more nonresident incidents. He also said event reporting and reimbursement are incomplete in many places because the paperwork and process can be onerous for small sheriff's offices.

On funding, Jordan cited $581,000 as the total made available by the Division of Emergency Management for search‑and‑rescue reimbursements in 2023, and noted that per‑event reimbursements are therefore relatively small. "A total available for the division of emergency management, 581000 dollars for all search and rescue events," he said.

Commissioners discussed technology options to reduce costs, including broader use of drone programs and other aerial resources; Jordan and others said drones could reduce helicopter usage and overall expense but require training and licensing. Commissioners also flagged that several funding streams are activity‑specific (for example, hunting and fishing surcharges or OHV fees) and may not align with the incidents the program seeks to cover, supporting Jordan's recommendation to consider more universal or diversified funding mechanisms.

Next steps: the division will analyze the gap between incurred search costs and reimbursed amounts and consider policy recommendations to ease reimbursement barriers and diversify funding sources.