DENVER, CO, June 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rocky Talkie today announced the recipients of its 2026 Search & Rescue (SAR) Awards, awarding $150,000 in grants to volunteer search and rescue organizations across the United States and Canada. Now in its seventh year, the program supports the volunteer teams that play a critical role in keeping outdoor recreationists safe while operating in some of the most challenging environments.
The SAR Awards are funded through Rocky Talkie’s Outdoor Safety Pledge, which donates $2 from every radio sold to outdoor safety programs. Since launching the Search & Rescue Award program in 2019, Rocky Talkie has contributed $410,000 to volunteer rescue organizations across North America.
This year’s applications were reviewed by an independent panel of judges that included search and rescue leaders to evaluate applications. Together with an internal review committee, the panel selected organizations demonstrating exceptional impact, operational need, and dedication to public safety.
“These volunteer teams work tirelessly to keep people safe across a wide range of environments and outdoor pursuits. We established Rocky Talkie’s Outdoor Safety Pledge to help support volunteer SAR teams that are so critical to enabling access to the backcountry but are chronically underfunded,” said Rocky Talkie Co-Founder and Head of Product, Alex Page. “These teams are united in that mission and continue to amaze us with their dedication. Congratulations to the recipients, and thank you to all the Search & Rescue teams who shared their stories with us this year.”
The 2026 Rocky Talkie Search & Rescue Award recipients are:
$25,000 Grant Recipients
- Squamish Search and Rescue Society (British Columbia)
- Unicoi County Search and Rescue (Tennessee)
“We are so grateful to be selected as the recipient of the Rocky Talkie SAR Award,” said Kama Guezalova, Squamish Search & Rescue team volunteer. “After years of planning and construction, we’re preparing to move into our new permanent base, and this funding will help us make the facility fully operational to respond safely and effectively during our busiest season. It also allows our team to spend less time fundraising and focus on providing critical search and rescue services to the Squamish community and the thousands of visitors who depend on us.”
$10,000 Grant Recipients
- Nevada County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue (California)
- Albuquerque Mountain Rescue (New Mexico)
“In the rugged terrain of Nevada County, every rescue carries inherent risk—not only for the person in need, but for the volunteers responding,” said Scott Montgomery, Mountain Rescue Team Manager at Nevada County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue. “The Rocky Talkie grant equips six team members with advanced rope rescue training, allowing us to operate more safely and effectively in high-risk environments. It strengthens our ability to protect lives—both those we are searching for, and those who answer the call to find them.”
$5,000 Grant Recipients
- Upper San Juan Search and Rescue
- San Diego Mountain Rescue Team
- Western Mountain Rescue Team
- El Paso County Search and Rescue
- GAMRU South Shore Search and Rescue
- Jamestown Crag Foundation / Nomads Cave & Cliff Rescue
- Bella Coola Valley Search and Rescue
- Kitimat Marine Search and Rescue
- South Orange Rescue Squad
- Cochrane Search and Rescue
- Ventura County – East Valley Search and Rescue
- Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue – Avalanche Dog Team
- California Search and Rescue
- Stephenville Search and Rescue
- Massasauga Search and Rescue Team, Inc.
- 505 SAR Dogs
“For an all-volunteer team operating across California’s most rugged terrain, equipment and training gaps are a real safety concern,” said Mike Dove, Unit Leader at California Search and Rescue (CalSAR). “This grant helps close that gap — funding training, critical rope systems, hardware, protective gear, and other essential equipment that will directly improve how safely and effectively our rescuers operate in the field. We’re incredibly grateful to Rocky Talkie for supporting teams like ours. CalSAR can now take advantage of a matching contribution now with the funds from this grant.”
Rocky Talkie’s Search & Rescue Awards, as well as the Outdoor Safety Pledge, reflect the company’s ongoing alignment to help make outdoor recreation safer and more accessible for everyone. The annual awards help volunteer organizations purchase equipment, expand training opportunities, improve operational readiness, and strengthen rescue capabilities
For more information about Rocky Talkie’s Outdoor Safety Pledge and Search & Rescue Awards program, visit the Rocky Talkie website.
About Rocky Talkie
Founded in 2019, Rocky Talkie is guided by a simple mission: provide the best communication solution for outdoor pursuits. Designed and rigorously tested in the Colorado Rockies, Rocky Talkie radios are intuitive to use, rugged, lightweight and trusted by outdoor professionals and enthusiasts alike. Rocky Talkie pledges $2 from each radio sold to outdoor safety programs. Learn more at RockyTalkie.com