Wyoming Administrative Code
Agency 001 - Governor's Office
Sub-Agency 0007 - Homeland Security - Wyoming Search and Rescue Council
Chapter 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1-3 - Account Uses

(i) WOHS serves as the account manager and operates using the guidance from the Wyoming Search and Rescue Council and Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 19-13-301. WOHS may establish accounting and purchasing procedures for fund administration.

(ii) The Council shall use the account for the purposes as defined by Wyo. Stat.Ann. § 19-13-301(b), (c)(i) through (iv).

(iii) Expenditures for non-operational expenses as defined by Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 19-13-301(c)(i) through (iv) may be given consideration in any order and amount based on the budget and priorities established by the Council each year, provided sufficient funds are in the account.

(iv) In compliance with Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 19-13-301(b), the Wyoming Search and Rescue Council shall give funding priority to approved search and rescue operations. To this end, the Council may establish an account minimum balance. When the fund falls below the minimum balance funds may only be expended on a cost-by-cost basis as approved by the Council. The Council must provide justification for the dollar amount established.

(v) The account shall not be used to reimburse counties for any salary or benefits normally paid to its employees.

(i) Operational claims may include direct costs incurred in the conduct of search and rescue missions statewide.

(ii) Participation in the fund is voluntary. Any sheriff's office in Wyoming may make a claim for reimbursement for costs directly incurred from search and rescue operational activities.

(iii) The claim period for operational claims is established by the Council.

(iv) Only one claim package per county shall be submitted from a sheriff's office per each claim period for operational claims.

(v) There shall be no prepayment for budget shortfalls. Responsibilities for the search and rescue program in Wyoming rest with sheriffs and remain a county issue.

(vi) Payment of search and rescue costs by the county does not guarantee reimbursement by the Council. Fiscal jurisprudence must be evident for each expense claimed.

(vii) The fund is not intended to reimburse all search and rescue mission expenses incurred by a county.

(viii) Reimbursement claims approved by the Council shall bear the signatures of the meeting Chairman and the Executive Secretary prior to payment.

(ix) The Council reserves the right to prorate approved claims when there are insufficient funds or when full reimbursement would cause undue depletion of the fund.

(i) Operational costs not reimbursable by the fund include:

(ii) The above listing is not exhaustive. The Council reserves the right to refuse any expense it determines does not meet the spirit and/or intent of the legislation.

(i) Non-operational claims are costs incurred for search and rescue program purposes to include fund administration; council meeting expenses such as travel, meals, and lodging; public education and fund marketing; statewide training programs; equipment acquisition for statewide use; development of search and rescue overhead teams.

(ii) The claim period for non-operational claims is established by the Council.

(iii) Only one claim package per county shall be submitted annually from the sheriff's office.

(iv) Council-sponsored and county requests for reimbursement of training and equipment for search and rescue, if paid by the fund, will be considered as statewide- use assets.

(v) The Council reserves the right to refuse any non-operational expenses it determines does not meet the spirit and/or intent of the legislation.

(i) The Wyoming Office of Homeland Security and the Wyoming Search and Rescue Council do not guarantee the expertise of any search and rescue personnel utilized in the conduct of search and rescue operations in Wyoming. However, the training of search and rescue personnel throughout Wyoming to enhance their abilities as search and rescue responders is encouraged and supported.

(ii) In accordance with Section 3(a) iii the Council does not guarantee the reimbursement of training costs incurred by a county.

(iii) Wyoming sheriffs may be reimbursed for search and rescue training sponsored by their organization if the training is provided to search and rescue personnel statewide.

(iv) The Council may enter into contractual agreements for the provision of search and rescue training programs for Wyoming search and rescue personnel.

(v) Direct and administrative costs incurred in the performance of the training and approved by the Council will be eligible for reimbursement.

(i) Sheriffs may make request for reconsideration on any expense denied by the Council. The request for reconsideration must be submitted, in writing, to the Council through the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security within thirty (30) days of notification of their claim status. Written request for reconsideration must include the reason for the resubmission and any supplemental documentation required to properly evaluate the request for reconsideration. Insufficient documentation will not be considered.

(ii) After council members vote on the reconsideration, WOHS will document the decision and send notification to the applicant within thirty (30) days of receipt of the date of the written reconsideration request.

(iii) Council decisions on reconsiderations are final. No further reconsiderations shall be made.