Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson stepped into the SVI Radio studio on Tuesday, April 14 for his monthly report. Sheriff Johnson discussed the Search & Rescue fundraiser and Kentucky Derby VIP raffle, recognized local dispatchers as part of National Dispatch Week, and encouraged residents to sign up for CodeRED emergency alert notifications at LincolnCountyWY.gov.

(0:00) You wake up with Duke, Dell and Dan. (0:04) Start the show. (0:06) 836 this morning on Swift 98 and the Spur heading into our first guest (0:09) interview segment this morning here on the weekday wake up in Lincoln County.

(0:13) Sheriff Shane Johnson in studio for his monthly report this morning. (0:16) Sheriff Johnson, appreciate you stepping in. (0:18) How are you today? (0:19) Good morning, Duke.

(0:20) How are you doing? (0:21) All right. (0:21) Thank you. (0:22) A big week for the sheriff’s office and the search and rescues.

(0:25) Uh, that big Kentucky Derby raffle drawing is this Friday morning. (0:30) So somebody going to go to the Kentucky Derby. (0:33) Somebody going to be pretty excited about that.

(0:35) Yeah, that’s, that’s a, that’s a neat thing. (0:37) There’s, uh, still an opportunity to get in on that. (0:40) Obviously, a fishing dog foundation.org and, um, they have, uh, social media (0:47) sites as well that you can get on and follow that, which helps just (0:50) push everything out there better.

(0:52) But yeah, still an opportunity. (0:54) And, uh, just an amazing, um, giveaway. (0:58) I don’t want to lose the lose side of the fact that, that ultimately this (1:03) is about getting some equipment for our search and rescue units that (1:06) do such a great job day in and day out.

(1:09) And there’s a, there’s all the seasons here in Lincoln County and (1:13) they’re busy throughout all of them. (1:15) They’re the different things that come up, um, different activities (1:19) that go on through the year. (1:20) They, uh, get to respond to all kinds of emergencies throughout the year.

(1:24) So this, these trucks will make a big difference for them. (1:27) We’ve had a chance to have every week for the last month or so, a member of (1:31) the search and rescue on either from Star Valley or Southern Lincoln County. (1:35) And have, have asked them what, how this trucks will help them and (1:39) how these trucks will benefit them.

(1:40) And it sounds like it’s, it’s a big, big deal to have these brand new (1:44) pickups available at their disposal. (1:45) Yeah. (1:46) They’re, they’re, their equipment’s getting aged.

(1:48) You know, I think, I think we’ve hit on it many times, but (1:51) it’s an all volunteer group. (1:53) It’s a subdivision of the Sheriff’s office and Lincoln County. (1:57) But, um, these, these trucks have been needed.

(2:01) Uh, you know, I mentioned we’ve been a little frustrated by the regular (2:03) process of getting them and we decided to get creative and see if (2:07) we couldn’t get them sooner. (2:08) And, and, uh, so this is what we came up with and, uh, you know, it’s been (2:12) successful and there’s, again, we’re, we’re still looking for more entries (2:17) and, and opportunities and, and, uh, opportunities to help out search and (2:21) rescue, but someone’s going to get a pretty amazing trip, all airfare, (2:27) meals, hotel accommodations, fantastic seats, uh, even a hat design, I (2:31) believe for the Kentucky Derby. (2:33) So it’s all included fishing dog foundation.org just 20 bucks per entry.

(2:38) And you can, uh, purchase the tickets online at fishing dog foundation.org. (2:42) We’ll do the drawing live here on the weekday. (2:44) Wake up this upcoming Friday. (2:45) So time’s ticking.

(2:47) Get those tickets bought. (2:47) I’ll be listening. (2:49) Excited about it.

(2:50) All right. (2:51) And, uh, so fishing dog foundation.org for that Kentucky Derby VIP experience (2:56) giveaway happening this Friday. (2:58) Sheriff Johnson, a couple other items.

(3:00) Uh, it is, uh, dispatchers week, I believe, right? (3:04) It is. (3:05) It’s a good opportunity to recognize, um, our dispatchers. (3:09) Of course we have a dispatch center here in Afton and also in Kimmer.

(3:14) Um, which where I’m headed right after this, but we got, uh, two full time centers. (3:19) I’ve said many times that’s, if not the toughest, one of the toughest jobs in (3:25) law enforcement is the 9-1-1 dispatcher with the stuff that they deal with and (3:29) have to handle and, um, just to shout out to them, do a great job and, uh, Marianne (3:35) Christensen, the supervisor there just runs it, runs a tight ship and, um, just (3:41) provides a great service to the community. (3:43) And we dispatch, um, for all the, all the agencies, all the, all the different (3:49) PDs, uh, police departments, fire departments, search and rescue work (3:52) closely with highway patrol and some of the federal partners.

(3:55) So yeah, just a chance to recognize them this week. (3:59) When we talk about, uh, all the different calls that search and (4:02) rescue has to be prepared for man. (4:04) Talk about all the different situations a dispatcher has to be prepared for.

(4:08) It’s, I mean, it, it ranges from, it could be a death, you know, even a (4:14) SIDS death or serious accident with a fatality. (4:18) And then, and the next call someone who’s just wants to complain about their (4:21) neighbor’s tree is in there dropping leaves in their yard. (4:25) I mean, it, it’s the range and you have to be, uh, ready to face that head on (4:32) no matter what it is and, and, and react appropriately.

(4:36) So it’s, it’s a tough job. (4:38) And they do a great job. (4:39) Sheriff Shane Johnson in studio this morning with the Lincoln (4:42) County Sheriff’s office.

(4:43) Uh, another reminder recently, uh, nothing big, but, uh, a three plus (4:48) earthquake over the weekend, just next to Simplot. (4:51) And then as we head into, uh, this season, which we’ve had a little (4:55) moisture last couple of days, but heading into what appears to be another (4:58) very dry summer and fire danger, and a good reminder to be ready (5:02) for those emergency alerts. (5:03) Yeah.

(5:04) We’ve started meeting on, on some things to get prepared, um, preparing for the (5:08) worst and hoping for the best, but, you know, we’ve talked about it on here (5:12) before, and I know you’ve done a good job of getting the word out about code (5:15) red and, uh, the ability to sign up to get alerts. (5:18) It’s the best way to, for us to get the word out to people about, uh, a (5:24) possible, uh, emergency in the area. (5:27) It could be anything, but, um, we’re talking about fire danger.

(5:33) So it could be, you know, something that alerts that we need to get out for (5:36) an evacuation area or an alert area, or just make people aware of (5:40) something that’s going on. (5:41) So that code red is if you go to the, uh, county’s, uh, website, (5:49) LincolnCountyWI.gov, right on the homepage, if you scroll down, (5:52) it allows you to sign up. (5:54) So you sign up for that.

(5:55) You’ll be ready to get alerts, uh, in case something happens. (5:58) And we’re just trying to get the word out. (5:59) So we, when we do again, hope we don’t, when, if we do have to send out those (6:05) alerts that we have, uh, that we’re hitting the right people and they’ve (6:08) signed up for that.

(6:10) Well, the Willow Creek fire still in recent memory, right? (6:12) And that was heavily used during that period. (6:14) Yep. (6:15) It’s, it gets utilized, uh, several times throughout the year for different things.

(6:18) So it could be anything, but we’re, you know, we’re worried about the fire danger. (6:23) I just throw in there too, you know, uh, it’s not a bad idea, um, to just (6:29) have a duffel bag full of just essentials, ready to go. (6:32) If something does happen, you got to leave.

(6:34) And so you can grab it and go and feel like you’re prepared. (6:38) Um, and in the worst of circumstances, you’re a little bit (6:41) prepared to, um, evacuate if needed. (6:44) We hope that doesn’t happen, obviously, but don’t want to, don’t want to pretend (6:48) it’s not going to happen and then get, uh, end up with, uh, some type of (6:53) evacuation that, that we’re not prepared for.

(6:55) So we’re getting ready again. (6:57) That’s Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson this morning (6:59) on the weekday wake up sheriff. (7:00) Thanks for your time.

(7:01) Anything we missed you’d like to mention today? (7:02) No, appreciate, appreciate the opportunity and the chance to cover (7:06) some of these important things. (7:08) It’s all part of the weekday wake up this morning on SVI radio.