Lake County Search and Rescue celebrated their new location in Polson with an open house on Oct. 15. 

After years of storing equipment and vehicles in member’s yards, Lake County Search and Rescue finally has a home large enough to house its toys. 

“We used to have all this stuff spread out around county,” search and rescue President Jared Bell said in reference to a sizable collection of all-terrain vehicles, boats and response trucks on display at the group’s open house on Saturday. 

The all-volunteer organization celebrated their recent move from a small building in Pablo a to a warehouse complex on the corner of Main Street and Ninth Avenue East in Polson. 

Bell said having all of its equipment in one place will help increase response times, a critical component when it comes to covering a 1,600-square mile area. The group also plans to remodel the office space on site, installing a kitchen, meeting rooms and radio call center. 

Bell said the amenities are important for members, who spend dozens of hours each month volunteering.

“It takes a lot of determination and commitment,” he said.

Operated under the supervision of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, search and rescue offers a variety of response teams, from horse posses to professionally trained-tracking units. 

Bell said that while summer is typically the busiest season, the group has already successfully rescued two lost hunters in October so far. 

Stacy Violett, a computer programmer by trade and tracking specialist with search and rescue, said that while the group doesn’t offer monetary benefits, it’s rewarding nonetheless. He said he was drawn to search and rescue after a lost boy wandered into his yard. When the boy was reunited with his family, Violett said their joy was contagious. 

“That’s the payment we get,” he said. “We put families back together.”

Bell said the group is funded in part through taxes, however they still rely heavily on volunteers. He said most of the labor and resources that went into remodeling their new building was donated. Beginning with the open house on Saturday, Bell said the group plans to increase its presence in the community. 

“A lot of people didn’t know there was a search and rescue,” he said. “We just want to let people know we’re in Polson now.”