Originally Posted By midnightsun03
Actually, the Park Service is the worst at letting go the reigns even though, surprisingly, most of them are way less qualified at running searches.

I had to smile when I read this (I am retired NPS myself), but I encountered the same situation in Arizona. It will vary from park to park, depending to a large extent on staff personalities. Rangers are basically generalists, doing a lot more than SAR, but usually not getting as much experience as the local volunteer group.

It always puzzles me when turf concerns trump safety/welfare considerations.