Daily Archives: February 18, 2020

Sheriff’s Office Receives Grants from Governor’s Office of Highway Safety

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FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has received two grants from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) to increase roadway safety and improve the accuracy and timeliness of traffic related data.

The first awarded grant is in the amount of $46,666 to purchase driver’s license scanners and in-car printers to be used with the Arizona Traffic and Criminal Software (AzTraCS). The Sheriff’s Office deputies currently hand write accident and traffic citation documents. Copies of the accident reports are sent to the state and entered into a database. ADOT receives an average of 600 papers reports a week. The reports are then scanned into a storage program and then entered into the State database.

The AzTraCS system is a mobile accident reporting software system, that can be used for electronic traffic citations, developing traffic accident reports and other report/forms. It allows the deputies to swipe driver’s licenses, complete the documents electronically and upload to the state. The AzTraCS system, driver’s license scanner and electronic transfer of information provides a more efficient use of Sheriff’s Office staff time. The documents have a higher accuracy and are completed quickly. AzTraCS will fully integrate to our Records Management System.

The only cost to agencies will be the equipment needed to operate and use the software. This includes scanners, printers and installation in Sheriff’s Office vehicles. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is providing funding through a grant to purchase the equipment needed. This project will provide faster, more accurate documents and a higher level of deputy safety.

The second grant awarded from GOHS will be used to purchase two radar speed trailers, in the amount of $20,000. The equipment will enhance our ability to address the problems of speed violators and traffic accident investigations.

The combination of large population of high school and college students, the high number of recreational visitors, and the availability of rural party areas contribute significantly to the number of traffic violations, driving under the influence, and accidents on our roadways. Speeding is one of the highest activity categories for our deputies. The radar message board trailers will provide educational sign messaging, as well as current speed of vehicles.

The goals of these projects funding by GOHS are to address critical roadway safety issues such as impaired driving, speed related crashes, and related injuries and fatalities.

Coconino SAR rescues injured skier on Fremont Peak

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FLAGSTAFF – On February 16th at approximately 6:10 PM the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call about an injured skier on the north side of Fremont Peak on a path known as Telemark. The 25-year-old male from Flagstaff had been skiing down the path and fell causing a shoulder injury which made impossible for him to continue to ski down. The group that he was with requested rescue and began to assist him down to the toe of the path where the terrain was less steep.

CCSO SAR rescue injured skier on north side of Fremont peak. – CCSO Photo

An Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue helicopter was requested to assist with the rescue, however due to the winds in the Inner Basin of the San Francisco Peaks and the location of the injured party, they were not able to land to conduct the rescue. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team responded to the area and were assisted by an ambulance crew from Guardian Medical Transport. The SAR team and the Guardian Medical crew drove the Sheriff’s Office snowcat to the Lockett Meadow campground in the Interior Valley.

The injured skier and his party were able to make it to the Inner Basin snow study cabins and waited there for rescuers. Due to the snow conditions in the area, the snowcat was not able to make it to the cabins, so a SAR team with the Guardian Medical crew hiked from the Lockett Meadow Campground to the cabins, which were approximately one and a half miles away. Upon arrival at the cabins at approximately 1:30 AM patient care was initiated by Guardian Medical and the SAR team prepared the patient for transport in a litter using a “hypothermia wrap” system to keep him warm and dry during the litter carry to the snowcat. The patient was loaded into the snowcat at approximately 3:30 AM and then transported down to the base of Lockett Meadow Road to be transferred to the ambulance for transport to the Flagstaff Medical Center.

This mission was another example of the close coordination and relationships between Northern Arizona emergency responders. The patient and his party were also well prepared and experienced in backcountry travel which allowed them to adequately manage the emergency until rescuers could arrive. Emergencies that occur in the wilderness areas require that the parties involved be able to manage the situation for an extended period of time as access is often difficult or time consuming. Being prepared for emergencies in the winter backcountry requires the proper clothing and equipment as well as experience using that equipment.