Commissioners hear update on search and rescue team training

Published 12:00 am Saturday, August 2, 2025

At Tuesday’s Lawrence County Commissioners’ meeting, members of the Lawrence County Firefighter Association stopped by to explain some of the trainings that firefighters around the county have done recently. 

Larry Dickess, one of the vice presidents of Lawrence County Firefighter Association, gave an update of the recent activities of the county’s search and rescue team, which included helping to locate missing children and a lost adult hiker, all of whom were found safely.

He said the team has been doing monthly trainings to improve their skills including low angle rope rescue and K-9 training at the 650 trails, as well as training simpler search skills, such as communication, fire starting, grid search and shelter building.

“All in all, this team continues to get better, constantly learning and

training so that they are ready and able to help anyone that may call on them,” Dickess said.

Some of the upcoming trainings include school bus training today at South Point, basic wildfire training at JROC and dealing with chlorine emergencies.

He said some of the trainings are put on by a fire department and they have invited other firefighters to attend and some are put on by the association.

“We’ve kept a pretty full schedule all year,” Dickess said. “And things are going in the right direction.”

He said that they have even had trainings that were attended by crews from Gallia and Scioto County.

Dickess said one of the biggest things they are working on right now is how to contact the SAR team for a call out. 

Currently, they have to call dispatch which sends out a 911 call to all departments and an alert on the all-hazard channel on the pager.

“Our 911 coordinator has been working on that and feels he has a solution,” Dickess said.

Another thing they are working on is a brush fire team.

Commissioner Colton Copley said it good to hear that the fire department members have been expanding their trainings.

Commissioner DeAnna Holliday said she loved the fact that other areas are looking at what the Lawrence County Firefighter Association has established and wanting to train with them.

Approved the following floodplain permits submitted by the Soil and Water Conservation District: 

• Renewed: Jason Ellis-Filling and grading and stream maintenance projects located at 38 Private Drive 331 County Road 36 and between Township Road 170 Windsor Twp. Line along County Road 36; James Boggs-filling and grading and stream maintenance projects located at 11366 St. Rt. 217; Justin Holland-Stream maintenance project located at 1045 County Road 37; Lawrence (Larry) Sullivan-Stream maintenance project located at 277 County Road 36; Car Stop Pre-Owned Auto LLC-Non-residential repair/construction project located at 218 County Road 402; Chesapeake Little League -filling and grading and Non-residential structure (press box on soft ball field) projects located at 624 County Road 31; Chesapeake Little League -Camper being used as a mobile concession stand project located at 624 County Road 31; Ronald Hamm-Stream maintenance project located at 1674 County Road 56; and Mark A. Kipp-filling and grading, bank stabilization and stream maintenance projects located at 7136 County Road 15

• Amended:  David and Summer R. Maynard to filling and grading project located at 652 and 708 County Road 31.