Winona County Dive Rescue Team was started in 1983 under the direction of Sheriff Vern Spitzer. It is comprised of a group of volunteers who are on call 24 hours a day. The team is responsible for water search and rescue in Winona County. The team has also traveled to other jurisdictions to assist in water rescue and recovery.
Late in 2009, the Dive/Rescue team took possession of a new rescue boat purchased with grant funds through the Department of Natural Resources.
The Winona County Sheriffs Mounted Posse organized in 2001 under the direction of Sheriff Dave Brand and is comprised of a group of volunteer individuals who assist the Winona County Sheriffs Department in searching for missing or lost persons in Winona County utilizing horses. Training includes first aid and search and rescue techniques.
Volunteers are on call 24 hours a day. The Sheriffs Mounted Posse has been used at the Winona County Fair to assist in parking control. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Mounted Posse contact Sheriff Ron Ganrude.
The Winona County Sheriff's Posse was organized in 1986 under the direction of then-Sheriff Bruce Stanton. On-call 24 hours a day, members are now trained in first aid, search and rescue, self-defense, and traffic control. To better reflect the activities encompassed by the team, their name was changed to the SOAR Team (Search Operations Assistance Response).
The SOAR team meets monthly at the Law Enforcement Center.