If you’ve ever experienced an emergency, you know the value of local heroes. Those are the ones that reach you the fastest, the ones that voluntarily give up a large chunk of their time and put their own lives at risk for the safety of others.

The year was 1997 when volunteers created the Boulder County Mounted Search and Rescue (MSAR). By 1998, the group had signed an agreement with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office to be part of Boulder’s search and rescue activities.

Three out of the 27 current members were part of the original group. The team is responsible for searches for missing or lost persons, animal evacuation during disasters, evidence searches, packing needed equipment into incidents, and mounted perimeter patrol for large search and rescue access areas.

Did you know that some of our neighbors have been part of MSAR? Linda Hurth, who was qualified by Sandy Hancock in 1998, has been a part of MSAR since nearly its inception.

Whether a squad leader or assistant squad leader, Hurth’s passion for horses, riding, training, searching and rescuing with a group of like-minded individuals makes her a perfect fit. Working with MSAR and the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office has been an amazing outlet for Hurth. She enjoys serving the community and has found great pleasure in it.

MSAR also offers community outreach programs that provide residents with information about emergency preparedness. Anyone interested in becoming part of MSAR can contact them about the Citizen’s Academy training.

Thanks to groups like MSAR, those who need help, including animals, have a chance of surviving scary situations. These volunteer heroes are needed and appreciated, especially in mountain communities like ours.

The MSAR is celebrating a quarter of a century as active and important members of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. Their role in public safety is worthy of celebration!

To learn more about MSAR visit https://www.boco-msar.org/.