County Search & Rescue team not going anywhere
Jennifer Beyer, Bryon Bass, Nelson Trichler
April 25, 2010 10:44 AM
A recent letter to the editor suggested the county is discontinuing the Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue Department. There are no plans to discontinue the Search and Rescue Team or the service it offers.
Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer, public-service nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation providing search and rescue services, through the county Sheriff's Department, since the early 1960s. Each year, team members contribute thousands of unpaid hours to train, recertify, maintain and update equipment, address team administrative matters, and, of course, respond to emergency calls.
Our ranks are filled with accountants, financial portfolio managers, construction workers, business owners, physical rehabilitation specialists, human resources managers, real estate agents, information technology specialists, consultants, field scientists, and even off-duty police, paramedics, firefighters and EMTs, each donating their time and experience to the community.
The team has no paid staff members; members are required to provide personal equipment, annually re-qualify in the team's technical skills, maintain current medical certifications (most members are EMTs), and pay annual membership dues.
As a member of the Mountain Rescue Association, the team annually recertifies in advanced search-and-rescue techniques such as snow rescue, high-angle rope rescue, lost subject search, tracking, and wilderness first responder operations.
The team operates 15 rescue vehicles, including specialty vehicles such as a dedicated command post and an ex-military Humvee, all modified for search and rescue operations. The team has two California Rescue Dog Association certified dogs that conduct trailing and cadaver search operations.
Annual team trainings include helicopter search and rescue operations with county and state agencies, a swift-water rescue technician course, and an Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC). Team members also have trained emergency response units outside the U.S. in high-angle rope rescue operations.
In 2009, Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue ranked highest among all California-based search and rescue teams, responding to 126 calls for service. The team regularly responds with other Santa Barbara County emergency service units including fire departments, AMR, and the Sheriff's Department.
Search and Rescue annually saves Santa Barbara County hundreds of thousands of dollars through unpaid professional efforts. While the county Sheriff's Department provides a small annual budget, mostly for gas and maintenance, private citizens and charitable organizations contribute all other team funding.
Under our motto of "So others may live," we continue to proudly serve our community by donating our time, skill and experience to the residents and visitors of Santa Barbara County. Those interested in being part of our dedicated team, please visit our website at www.sbcsar.org.
The authors are all part of the Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue Department team.