FRESNO (KMJ) – The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Jeep Search Unit remembers a fallen team member.
Sanger Police Officer Rod Jones lost his life in an ATV accident in Pismo Beach on Friday, June 17th.
Jones was a 20 year veteran, and his death is described as a great loss by his colleagues, including the Sheriff’s Jeep Rescue Unit of which Jones was a member.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Jeep Rescue Unit or “Jeepers” is a volunteer unit working with the Sheriff’s Department during Search and Rescue operations.
These Disaster Service Workers respond with their own vehicles to call outs 24 hours a day.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Jeep Rescue Unit released the following statement:
It is with heavy hearts that the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Jeep Search and Rescue Team acknowledges the recent loss of our valued team member, Rod Jones.
Rod was not just a number upon a roster, he was an active member within a team of men and women who gave a lot of himself in order for others to live.
Rod was a family man and his love for them always came first. We are certain that the love for his fellow man is what drew him into the law enforcement field and made him a dedicated member of the Sanger Police Department.
Rod joined the Fresno County Jeep Search and Rescue Team so that he would be able to share his gift of caring with a broader community. He sacrificed hours away from his family so that others may live. His volunteer status, as with all members of search and rescue, was a gift of himself to his community.
Rod was more than just a member of our team, he was a man who stepped up when we needed him. He became our training officer and spent countless hours finding ways to get training to our diverse group.
Rod left this world too soon and it’s created a void; not only in the realm of his family, but in our community. There are few people who place others before themselves and Rod was an exception.
Rest in Peace Rod. -The Fresno County Sheriff’s Jeep Rescue Unit
