Tuesday, NOVEMBER 11, 2025 |

Photo – Search and Rescue banner – Courtesy Carbon County Sheriff’s Office

County Commissioners have agreed to support a grant request to purchase portable internet equipment for the Sheriff’s Department.

During the November 4th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Sheriff Alex Bakken requested a letter of support for a grant application through the Wyoming Community Foundation’s Intertie Investment Program to purchase six Starlink systems for Carbon County Search and Rescue. Sheriff Bakken explained that the idea was well received at the previous night’s biannual search and rescue meeting, particularly by volunteers who participated in the August rescue of an injured hiker from the Platte River Wilderness Area.

Starlink is a satellite-based internet service developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. For a monthly fee, Starlink provides high-speed internet access to remote and underserved areas where traditional infrastructure is limited or unavailable.

Sheriff Bakken explained that Starlink will help search and rescue volunteers communicate more reliably across the county. The sheriff added that the system can also extend the range of their handheld radios.

Commission Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett asked what would happen if the Wyoming Community Foundation denies the grant application. Citing the system’s low cost, Sheriff Bakken said he would request to purchase the Starlink arrays in the next fiscal year, beginning July 1st.

The Board of County Commissioners unanimously agreed to offer a letter of support for Sheriff Bakken’s Wyoming Community Foundation’s Intertie Investment Program grant application to purchase six portable Starlink antennas and batteries.

The post Sheriff Requests Letter to Support Grant Application first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.