Union County SAR volunteer Willy Crippen named OSSA volunteer of the year
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, December 16th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY – Willy Crippen, incident commander, field responder, and equipment manager for Union County Search and Rescue, was recently named the 2024 SAR volunteer the year for Eastern Oregon by the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association (OSSA). Crippen officially received the honor from OSSA on the evening of Thursday, December 12. In recognition of this incredible achievement, Union County Search and Rescue wrote the following:
“Thursday evening Willy Crippen was honored by the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association as the 2024 SAR volunteer of the year for the Eastern Oregon Region. Since joining Union County SAR in 2021 after a storied career with the U.S. Forest Service, Willy Crippen has brought a wealth of experience to both the team and region as an incident commander and field responder. In recent years he has contributed hundreds of hours to advanced training in search management, electronic mapping, lost person behavior, swift water and rope rescue, cell phone location analysis, and UAV operations.
As the Team’s equipment manager, Willy works tirelessly behind the scenes to maintain and enhance SAR equipment, often at his own expense. His mentorship and teaching abilities make him a valuable resource for new volunteers, and his friendly, welcoming demeanor is felt throughout the team. The Union County Sheriff’s Office SAR Team deeply appreciates Willy’s dedication and contributions and could not be more proud of him for this worthy recognition. Willy Crippen is pictured here with Sheriff Cody Bowen and SAR Coordinator Nick Vora.”
