LINCOLN COUNTY — The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded a Monterra high-water rescue vehicle through the Oregon SPIRE grant program that will let responders reach flooded or debris-blocked areas standard trucks cannot.

The specialized truck features a custom 17-foot aluminum rescue body, integrated stairs, a deep-water fording kit rated for up to 50 inches of water, 22 inches of ground clearance, seating for about 25 passengers with wheelchair accessibility, and a 3,000-pound lift gate for loading equipment, supplies or people.

“This vehicle significantly expands our ability to reach community members during floods, storms, and other emergencies,” Sheriff Adam Shanks said. “Our communities have unique needs and challenges before, during, and after disasters. This funding helps increase capacity for first responders throughout Lincoln County, not only the Sheriff’s Office.”

The vehicle is one of four Monterra units funded by the State Preparedness and Incident Response Equipment program and now completing production for delivery to Oregon partners. SPIRE equipment is purchased and owned by the state but used and maintained by local agencies, with the goal of improving mutual aid across jurisdictions.

Lincoln County regularly faces atmospheric-river flooding, landslides and coastal storms. The December 2025 storms that produced a federal disaster declaration for the county closed Highway 229 for an extended period after a major slide near Siletz and caused widespread flooding and power outages. State risk data show a 100-year flood could damage more than 2,300 buildings here and that thousands of structures sit in high landslide or tsunami zones.

Although the grant was awarded in 2022, supply-chain disruptions after COVID delayed the truck until this year. Once in service it will support the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team and improve coordination with local fire departments and emergency management during evacuations and high-water responses.