Sheriff recognizes National Volunteer Week

They are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week providing crucial assistance to Nye County Sheriff’s Office deputies, as well as the community at large.

This week, Sheriff Sharon Wehrly recognized the efforts of members of the Nye County Sheriff’s Office Auxiliary, and Search and Rescue crews as part of National Volunteer Week.

“The level of which we operate, today at the Nye County Sheriff’s Office would not be possible without our volunteers,” she said. “Our sheriff’s auxiliary members put in countless hours each year by working out in the community to assist with traffic control and large-scale events. Our search and rescue members join them and volunteer their time to provide life-saving search and rescue operations. We are able to provide better service to the Nye County citizens, through the dedication of many of our volunteers. On behalf of the Nye County Sheriff’s Office, I want to say thank you to each and every one of our volunteers.”

Many hours

Auxiliary Commander Quentin Aukeman noted that at present, there are 33 members of the auxiliary unit.

“We respond to traffic accidents for traffic control, and we serve papers, but basically we serve the sheriff’s office in order to free up deputies to do what they do,” Aukeman said. “We put in approximately 16,000 hours a year. Our members are all volunteers and we are all retired. We do this because we want to give back to the community. We just appreciate being able to help out the sheriff and the deputies. They do great work here and we want to keep it that way.”

Dedication to service

Albert Bass has served for more than 14 years as captain over the Nye County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Unit.

Bass said he loves volunteering his time to serve the community on various assignments.

Typically, search and rescue crews put in a minimum of about five hours a month, between their meetings and training, but at times crews can put in about 20 hours a month.

“We work with all of the county programs and support any events necessary through the county or the sheriff’s office, whether it be community-wide events, festivals, lost persons, or rescues up in the mountains and the desert,” Bass said. “We currently have about 40 members in our search and rescue unit with various backgrounds.”

Bass also noted that due to the current pandemic, crew members are putting in additional hours to support the community.

“What I love about volunteering for the sheriff’s office, and search and rescue is just the community dedication, helping our community and helping the sheriff’s office,” he said. “Now, with the current situation with COVID-19, we have people that are putting in 40 to 50 hours a month, to help support our community, and the needs of the sheriff’s office.”

The Nye County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Unit was formed many years ago by former Sheriff Wade Lieseke, Jr. The members were then known as the Community Action Team.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes