Congratulations to Chris—and thank you for all you do.
Chris Galiszewski has been named Search and Rescue Coordinator of the Year by the Oregon Sheriff’s Association. He was nominated by Baker County Sheriff Mitch Southwick and Wayne Inman of the Baker County Search and Rescue Board of Directors. Their nomination letter said of Galiscewski, “He provides leadership to the unit and also considerable expertise in a number of technical areas including computer and communication technology, cell phone tracking, search management and the Incident Command System.” (Continue reading to see the nomination letter.)
Nomination letter
Lt. Pat Rowland
Chairman, OSSA SAR Advisory Council
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
White City, OR 97503
The purpose of this letter is to nominate Chris Galiszewski for Search and Rescue Coordinator of the year. This Nomination is being made by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Board.
Chris Galiszewski has been the Baker County Search and Rescue Coordinator for nearly three years. He provides leadership to the unit and also considerable expertise in a number of technical areas including computer and communication technology, cell phone tracking, search management and the Incident Command System. Not only is he an innovator in Baker County, but he is closely associated with SAR members and organizations in adjacent counties in Oregon and Idaho. He is an active member of the Eastern Oregon SAR and provides them with leadership, innovation and support. This partnership relationship with members not only in SAR but in the other emergency services organizations has provided much needed coordination and mutual assistance. Chris is so involved in SAR that very little gets past him in Eastern Oregon and across the state. One of the reasons Chris is successful is his ability to network with his colleagues not only in SAR but in the fire service and medical community. Almost any problem can be resolved with a phone call to someone Chris knows from his various disciplines.
Chris has become a successful grant writer which has helped the Baker County Sheriff’s SAR team acquire equipment and training. He knows there is money out there; all he has to do is find the source and write a convincing justification which is no easy task.
Every successful SAR unit has a person or person around which the operation of the SAR unit revolves. He is the one member who seems to make things happen for SAR in this county. Of course, he has a dedicated and skilled volunteer team with which he works on a daily basis, but he is the one who provides the leadership and coordination to make it all happen. Baker County doesn’t have the highest number of SAR missions, but I have confidence in his ability to coordinate the effort of the volunteers, the Sheriff’s Office staff and mutual aid units in a successful resolution no matter the scope and complexity of the mission.
Chris is a volunteer, so his considerable SAR time and effort are not compensated. He is an office manager for a business in Baker City and has his own communications business. He is also a Baker City volunteer firefighter and EMT. And his most important job is that of husband and father to 3 daughters. I am pleased to nominate Chris for this award. I will be happy to answer any questions or provide any additional information.
Thank You
Mitch Southwick, Baker County Sheriff
Wayne Inman, Baker County Sheriff’s Office SAR Board Member
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