Red Rock Search & Rescue receives UAV donation worth $8,500 from ATAC Global to be used to conduct emergency Search and Rescue operations across Southern Nevada.
Red Rock Search and Rescue received an early Christmas present from their Las Vegas community partners, ATAC Global. Surprising Red Rock SAR, ATAC Global produced and donated a fully loaded UAV that the volunteer SAR team could utilize on missions and training. Red Rock Search and Rescue has been hoping to use drone technology since their founding in early 2012, but the all-volunteer team did not have the funding to procure a properly configured SAR drone. ATAC Global, recognizing and celebrating the team’s impact on Clark County came to their rescue, not only donating the drone package, but also offering their time and resources to ensure Red Rock SAR becomes proficient in the flying, use and utilization of the growing technology. Tom Clarke, President and Chairman of ATAC Global – “We at ATAC believe that UAVs can, and will, hugely impact first responders in expediting patient response and treatment. We also believe Red Rock Search and Rescue is the proper organization to establish that level of excellence not only for Nevada, but the entire nation.” ATAC Global COO Tony Portelli continues, “Any time you can create an advantage in a rescue you’re increasing the chances of survival. The UAV does just that. We’re just glad we were able to help out the community and Red Rock SAR.”
Dana Richardson, Co-Founder of Red Rock Search and Rescue says about the donation, “We’ve been testing the ATAC drone by recreating and flying old missions and trainings. We fly the grids and areas our Search Teams worked. We now know we can use drones to clear miles of terrain in minutes instead of hours. Search and Rescue is a race against time, and drones will give us a huge edge. This donation, and the technology, will save lives.”
The drone not only allows Red Rock Search and Rescue to find their subjects faster, it also helps out their team of 150+ volunteers who pay for all their own gear and training. Richardson continues, “Besides finding their subject, nothing makes a searcher happier than hearing they don’t have to go hike and clear that big mountain in the distance.”
Red Rock Search and Rescue is an all volunteer, 501c(3) Search and Rescue organization serving all of Southern Nevada, California, Utah and Arizona. All of Red Rock Search & Rescue 150+ volunteers stand ready – 24 hours a day, seven days a week – to respond to disaster, and rescue and recover those in peril.