Carbon County Sheriff Jeff Wood stopped by the Castle Country Radio Station for his weekly update where he spoke about holiday travel, backcountry activities and appreciation towards local law enforcement.
“We do have some weather coming in this weekend and it’s going to be right about the time people are going to travel for Christmas, just take your time, make sure you leave early, make sure you’re ready for the trip and don’t get in a hurry and arrive safely,” stated Sheriff Wood. Driving in winter weather can be challenging even for experienced drivers; be sure to slow down, allow enough time and distance to come to a stop, wear seatbelts and pay attention to your surroundings.
If you have plans to hit the outdoors during the holidays it’s important to be prepared. “Be safe. I know people are going to be playing out in the backcountry, realize that there isn’t a lot of snow in town but you get up into the mountains there’s a lot of snow and it’s crusted now, it’s drifted, it’s crusted, it’s hard to go in, there’s going to be places you cannot access by vehicle other than a snowmobile,” explained Sheriff Wood. Be equipped for the backcountry by wearing warm clothing, have plenty of water and food, flashlights and plenty of fuel in your vehicle in case there is a chance of being stranded. The Search and Rescue team is always on call to assist those in need but cannot retrieve their vehicles.
As many families are enjoying the holidays there are many law enforcement officers that don’t get that luxury and will be working. “You know I just want to say thank you to all our local law enforcement – Highway Patrol, Price Police, Wellington Police, Helper Police, East Carbon Police, of course, the Sheriff’s Office all of them that are out there and they are going to be working for the holidays, they’ll be there all day and all night to make sure everything is taken care of,” stated Wood. Take time to show appreciation to any local law enforcement officers that may be seen working out in the community during the holidays.
For more information on the Carbon County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team visit their Facebook page.