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Search and rescue team receives more than $12,500 in donations to replace stolen equipment

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COMMERCE CITY — A search and rescue team can now replace stolen vital equipment thanks to a $10,000 donation from a local business and donations from Denver7 viewers.

On Friday, the CEO of 3R Technology Solutions Inc., Pete Mikulin, presented the Rampart Search and Rescue team with a big check and offered a safe storage area for the team to store their equipment.

“We are not wealthy people, but we do have the means to do this,” Mikulin said.

Rampart Search and Rescue is a team of 30 volunteers. They respond to distress calls of lost loved ones and people stranded on the side of the road throughout Adams and Lincoln counties.

In December of 2020, a thief broke into the storage unit of the search and rescue team, according to police. David Haskin, the director for Rampart Search and Rescue estimated $10,000 in stolen belongings and equipment. He said without the equipment they couldn’t respond to calls effectively.

“They basically crippled us," Haskin said.

Mikulin said he felt the need to act after reading the Denver7 story online.

“I knew that there was something that we had to do,” Mikulin said. “These men and women, Rampart Search and Rescue, are heroes. They are guardian angels.”

The company 3R Technology Solutions Inc. recycles and refurbishes technology. Two years ago, a beacon went off inside the warehouse, and Rampart Search and Rescue responded. Mikulin said it’s a testament to their devotion to helping people in need.

“They’re an organization that responds to whoever needs help without question,” Mikulin said.

Denver7 viewers also stepped in to donate to the organization. Denver7 Gives presented the nonprofit with a $2,525 check.

“We really feel blessed,” Haskin said.

The money donated will be used to replace the stolen equipment and to make much needed repairs to vehicles. The team does not charge for their service. They are a nonprofit organization and rely on donations and volunteers.

“The sooner we can get our equipment back, then we can be more prepared and ready,” Haskin said.