Sheriff's Posse performs in times of need
(Times photo - Rae Yazzie)
The Apache County Sheriff's Posse includes, back row, left to right, Gary Slaughter, James Nelson Jr., Jerry Poe, Albert Poe, Sheriff Joseph Dedman Jr., Luis Morales and Ruben Rodriguez; and, front row, from left, Sophie Villagomez, Romona Vallajos and Loretta Bilberry. They are shown in Springerville, Ariz., on June 9.
By Marley Shebala
Navajo Times
SPRINGERVILLE, Ariz., June 27, 2011
(Special to the Times - Donovan Quintero)
Apache County Sheriff's Posse volunteer Melvin Young makes fry bread for law enforcement officers June 11 in Springerville, Ariz.
At about 11 p.m. on June 9, Dedman and his deputies were having an impromptu meeting at the road leading to the pine-clad retreat of Greer, off State Route 260 between McNary and Eagar.
The only item on their agenda was the Wallow Fire, burning to the west. That day the raging fire, with 40-mph winds howling behind it, had forced the evacuation of firefighters battling to protect the homes and businesses of Greer.
A few days before, Dedman and his deputies went door to door and ordered the residents to evacuate. On June 8, they added Eagar and Springerville to the list of communities under evacuation orders.
Dedman pointed to white flags posted in front of most of the homes and businesses in Eagar and Springerville, and said that they signified owners who had left.
"A few people didn't evacuate and we had to tell them that they were staying at their own risk and that there was a very strong likelihood that we would be unable to respond to an emergency call from them," said Dedman, who has been the county's sheriff for three years.
But if there were children in the home, he and his deputies had a legal obligation make sure they were evacuated, he added.
As he drove his sheriff's vehicle past the Escudilla Mountains, which were blanketed with the smoke from the fire, Dedman talked about the natural beauty of the area.
He recalled how snow blanketed the mountain communities in winter, forcing him and his deputies to patrol on skimobiles.
But as he drove along on patrol June 9, he mostly talked about the Southern Apache County Sheriff's Posse, an all-volunteer search-and-rescue unit of specially trained and skilled individuals.
He said sheriffs in nine counties and the Navajo Nation police responded to his call for assistance when the Wallow Fire entered Apache County.
Earlier in the day, Dedman stopped at the Eagar ballpark, where the Southern Apache County Sheriff's Posse had transformed its big white emergency response semi-truck into a chuck wagon.
As soon as Dedman got out of his vehicle, southern posse members stopped inventorying food donations to shake his hand, exchange jokes and ask if he was hungry.
But before Dedman picked up his chow, he turned to a table of state police troopers, greeted them and thanked them for their assistance.
When some of his deputies approached the chow window as he was about to get his meal, Dedman stepped out of the way and encouraged them to go first.
Then he picked up his meal of hamburger steak smothered in gravy, steamed potatoes, corn, a dinner roll, and a couple of strawberry cookie bars.
Southern Apache County Sheriff's Posse Capt. Albert Poe, 49, of St. Johns, a large man with an even larger smile, pointed to three huge white ice chests and told Dedman they were filled with donated sodas, water, juice, sports drinks and herbal energy drinks.
Poe said before the residents of Springerville and Eagar were evacuated, many brought homemade baked goods for the posse to serve to law enforcement officers, firefighters and whoever wandered over to the posse's camp looking for a hot meal.
"Our payment that we get for this is satisfaction," Southern Apache County Sheriff's Posse member Gary Slaughter smiled. "It make you feel good when you are helping somebody."
Poe said the posse members, male and female, usually arrive about 5 a.m. to get breakfast started and close up about 10 p.m.
He pointed at the semi-truck and said that's where he sleeps. But most of his sack time is donated, too, to law enforcement officers who stop by for a cup of hot coffee and a snack.
Northern Apache County Posse Lt. Audrey Tortez said on Tuesday that the posse probably serves about 700 meals a day, which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Tortez, a Mission Indian from California, said she and her crew relieved most of the Southern Apache County Sheriff's Posse on June 13.
Her crew included Northern and Southern Apache County Sheriff's Posse members and local community people.
Dedman announced June 12 after consulting with fire officials that residents of Eagar and Springerville could return to their homes, four days after the evacuation order was issued.
He said law enforcement had to maintain roadblocks and constant patrols of evacuated areas to prevent looting.
As he waved farewell to the posse, Dedman, a Navajo Nation Police officer for 27 years, said he wished the tribal police had a similar volunteer support unit.
But, Dedman said, the red tape of the BIA, which funds the tribal police, would probably put the kibosh on creation of such a resource.