Search and Rescue (SAR) teams across the U.S. tirelessly save lives in harsh environments, from mountains to rivers, often relying on volunteers with a passion for the outdoors and helping others. In Nevada County, CA, the NCSSAR team now operates with enhanced efficiency, thanks to Nimbl’s specialized incident command van, which includes workstations, advanced communication tools, and reliable power through Battle Born Batteries. This van has revolutionized its SAR operations by creating a mobile command center that can quickly deploy, coordinate rescues, and maintain essential connectivity.

A Lifeline in the Wilderness | The Selfless Commitment of Search and Rescue Volunteers

We’ve all heard the stories of harrowing rescue missions on alpine slopes, in remote wilderness areas, and across frigid, rushing rivers. An injured hiker stranded on a precarious mountain slope. A climber struck by a falling boulder unable to repel down. Backcountry skiers trapped in an intense winter storm. A small child that wandered off the trail. Or a kayaker quickly swept away by a fast-moving river.

Each of these scenarios is a life-threatening emergency. Minutes can be the difference between life and death, and intense weather conditions create a dynamic environment with new challenges around every corner.

It’s estimated that over 100,000 search and rescue missions, like those mentioned above, occur annually in the United States. Whether a novice outdoorsman or experienced alpinist, no one ever sets out on an adventure anticipating needing to be rescued. But when a life-altering moment happens, Search and Rescue teams have been called in and saved countless lives.

Local first responders dispatch teams specializing in mountain, ground, air, sea, and avalanche rescue when victims call in or their families report them missing. Partnering with first responders, these teams head into the field at a moment’s notice with very little time to spare.

Without asking questions and disregarding their desires and comforts, Search and Rescue people forsake all else “that others may live.” Since many teams are made up of volunteers, Search and Rescue members dedicate their free time to ensuring lost and injured individuals have a chance to come home to their loved ones.

Community Heroes| Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team

Search and Rescue teams band together across the country, specializing in their region’s specific topography to serve their area effectively. While some are professionals who have dedicated their careers to saving lives, others are volunteers passionate about serving their community and helping lost and injured outdoor enthusiasts return home.

Nestled in the Tahoe National Forest from the Nevada border and stretching towards Sacramento, Nevada County, CA is a diverse geographical region home to various outdoor activities. Consequently, avid outdoorsmen flock to the region year-round to experience its natural beauty and thrilling outdoor adventures, from towering mountain peaks to densely wooded forests, rushing rivers, and countless alpine lakes.

To support law enforcement in this area, “the Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (NCSSAR) is a California Non-Profit corporation, staffed with volunteers and entirely funded by donations and fundraisers.” NCSSAR serves the community of Nevada County by taking on search and rescue missions with dedicated teams full of volunteers. From ATV and motorcycle teams to dive teams, haste teams, incident command, crisis response, and everything in between, NCSSAR volunteers bring a unique skill set to aid searches across various terrains and weather conditions.

Each volunteer member of NCSSAR is a “local citizen that has the desire to help their neighbors and friends in a time of need,” in addition to being adequately equipped to handle any adverse conditions thrown their way. The Sheriff has an established set of standards that interested volunteers must meet to become members of the Search and Rescue teams. These standards ensure that all volunteers can endure intense conditions to keep themselves, other volunteers, and those they are searching for safe throughout the mission.

Powering Life-Saving Missions | Nimbl’s Incident Command Vehicles

While Search and Rescue missions have been taking place for decades, technological advances have played a huge role in keeping rescuers safe and enhancing the chances of the mission ending successfully. With the ability to quickly ping cellphones, determine the victim’s last known location, and narrow the search area, Search and Rescue teams can save time and reach victims more quickly.

Nimbl Vehicles, a company specializing in high endurance overland vehicles, saw a need in the market for highly equipped incident command vehicles to aid in Search & Rescue, Fire Evacuation, and Emergency Response support operations. Adam Morton, owner of Nimbl, passionately creates overland vehicles for avid adventurers and recognizes their potential for Search & Rescue operations.

To address this need, Nimbl built incident command vans from a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter High Roof 170″, configuring them to hold 3-4 passengers, accommodate up to 4 interior workstations, and include an external command and briefing station. Moreover, these vans come pre-equipped with Wi-Fi and Ethernet, providing appropriate connections to add Starlink for ease of connectivity in the most remote wilderness areas.

“We’ve condensed a full-scale Incident Command Post into a compact and efficient package, with long-range, high-endurance deployment capability alongside streamlined set-up and take-down to get teams in the field faster, sooner, and easier. Plus, you need enough power storage and charging capability to operate independently, without a generator, for as long as you need.”

Powered by 1,080Ah of Battle Born GC3 Batteries and 800 watts of solar, these vans have long-lasting power to outlast the longest, most arduous searches. “We have been using Battle Born Batteries since the beginning, and we have stuck with Battle Born because of the reliability that we have found.”

Nimbl’s Incident Command Van Transforms NCSSAR’s Rescue Capabilities

With their home base in Nevada County, Adam felt called to craft an incident command vehicle that would serve his local community. For the NCSSAR team, having a reliable system to support their missions is crucial to the survival of the rescued and the team members. The Nimbl incident command vehicle was the missing piece in the NCSSAR toolbox.

Equipped with six different computer stations, a color copier and printer, and a CalTopo cell network extender and radio system connected to the internet through Starlink, the NCSSAR incident command van has revolutionized its search and rescue capabilities. When the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office calls the SAR team in, they begin by setting up an Incident Command Post (IC) and working to gather any cell phone pings to help narrow down their search area. The van serves as the central hub of work at the incident command and plays a crucial role in operations as rescuers deploy into the field to begin their mission.

For Jerry Weidler, NCSSAR Unit Leader, when working with Nimbl to create their incident command van, consistent and reliable power was at the top of their list of necessities. “Battle Born was the obvious choice for its reliability. The ability to go into any conditions, whether it be on top of a summit in the middle of winter or at the bottom of a river canyon at 120 F, it’s proven to be seamless and has never failed us.”

Knowing they can access consistent and reliable communication with one another and other first responders allows the NCSSAR team members to focus on the task. Above all, the team’s goal is to rescue the subject and reunite them with loved ones as quickly and safely as possible.

Empowering Rescuers with the Power of Battle Born Batteries

“As volunteer search and rescue people, we’re on call 24/7, 365. The pay that we get from it is that there’s no feeling like rescuing a four-year-old and being able to hand that child back over to their mother, safe and sound.” With the help of their Nimbl incident command van, the NCSSAR team is serving their community one rescue at a time.

Adam Morton and Nimbl are looking forward to continuing to deploy these incident command vans to Search & Rescue teams and first responders. “We’ve opened a lot of people’s eyes, and it’s exciting for us, not just because we want to build these vehicles, but because we want to have a more efficient whole body of rescuers throughout the state and eventually throughout the country.”

When combined with the reliable power of Battle Born Batteries harnessing energy from the sun, the backcountry capabilities of these vehicles can significantly transform Search & Rescue missions across the country. Keep up with Nimbl and their latest overland innovations on Instagram and Facebook!