YCSRT interview with Assistant Manager Josh Schmidt

Keith Morgan- Questions

1: Briefly tell me what YSRT is and what your role is in that org.

2: Since YCSRT is volunteer, how do you find the resources, funds to help keep equipment updated, and transportation?

3: what's the biggest challenge being a part of YCSRT?

4: I learned the YCSRT works in joint co-op with the Yavapai Sheriff’s office. What do they do to help out YCSRT, or vice versa?

5: What is the basic pre-req. or skill training needed to become a volunteer in YCSRT?

Josh Schmidt- Answers

1.) YCSRT stands for Yavapai County Sheriff's Response team. In Arizona according to Arizona Revised Statues the Sheriff's Department in each county is responsible for all search and rescue activity and missions. YCSRT is a volunteer organization that the Sheriff's Office uses to aid itself in caring out this responsibility. I belong to the backcountry unit. We are responsible for tracking, ground based operation, technical rescue, swift water rescue, air rescue in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, mine and cave rescue and many more things.

2.) Our resources come from a verity of areas. We are responsible for purchasing all of our individual gear. The SO gives us a vehicle and we get the rest of our money through grants and fund raining.

3.) The biggest challenge is time and money. Our entire unit is volunteer, Due to the skills that we perform many of our members are not retired and work for a living. This means that we are not always available to help and have to balance our work schedules with life and rescues.

4.) YCSRT takes care of all search and rescue missions for Yavapai County.

5.) You have to pass a background check, basic academy and have good common sense. In addition each member is required to pass field training that encompasses technical rescue, tracking, medical skills, etc. Many of us have additional certification through the state, Yavapai college etc.


In my interview with Josh Schmidt, Assistant manager of Yavapai County Search and Rescue team, he provided valuable and brief information on the organization itself. Yavapai County search and Rescue is strictly 100% volunteer. Although they don’t have direct or passive income, they do receive government grants from time to time. A lot of equipment is bought by the volunteers themselves. Josh also stated some problems with the organization were being a volunteer. Since the volunteers do not get paid, it is hard for them to find time to volunteer since they have jobs to raise families and keep a roof over their heads.
A lot of YCSRT’s task is emergency rescue and pre hospital care. I chose this organization because it stuck out like a sore thumb. This field has very high appeal to me because I’m very interested in emergency and pre hospital care. Having taken an EMT class myself, it only further piqued my interest to delve deeper into the career path. A lot of skills and requirements not stated by Josh that I think may be helpful that I have knowledge of is WOOFR classes or HAZMAT, the first is a wild land or back country survival/ emergency rescue class. HAZMAT is hazardous materials. In HAZMAT you cover all kinds of dangerous substances and what you do when you come in contact of or arrive in a perimeter of the incident.
Aside from the interview and basic background knowledge I think I may conduct another interview with Josh Schmidt to get further information and quite possibly do a ride along on one of his calls. I may or may not record on video, videotaping it may prove very beneficial to my blog for an excellent visual.