What is Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue?
Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue is an all-volunteer branch of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department covering all 2,550 square miles of Santa Barbara County. SBCSAR is a non-profit, public benefit corporation with an elected board of directors. The team is trained to use specialized equipment to handle a variety of emergencies such as high-angle rock rescues, car-over-the-side accidents, downed aircraft, swiftwater rescues and other wilderness medical emergencies. The team is also highly proficient in search operations for overdue hikers, mountain bikers, missing children or lost hunters. As a member of the Mountain Rescue Association, the team also responds to support search and rescue efforts throughout California and the United States.
In addition to search and rescue operations, the team also provides community education through its presentations of the "Hug-a-Tree" program for children. The team also supports of various civic and non-profit activities such as backcountry charity events and races.
How much time does it take up?
Lots! Each member can spend literally hundreds of hours a year on team activities. Training is one Saturday and one Sunday of each month. In addition to skills training, administrative aspects of the team must be attended to and equipment must be checked monthly to ensure the team is prepared. Those deeply committed to the team give many hours a month of their free time.
Between the training, maintenance, and calls, the team consumes much of its members' free time and even takes time away from family, job, and social activities.
Who are we?
The team is made up of dedicated men and women from all walks of life, providing search and rescue services to Santa Barbara County as a professionally trained organization. Most team members are active in many varieties of outdoor activities and recognize their abilities to assist those in need.
How often is the team called out?
We average 80 to 100 calls a year, which means about two per week, on average. All team members are on call 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and are paged to respond by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center. During holidays and summer when there are lots of people in the backcountry we can get busy. We are always on call for incidents like car-over-the-side accidents and missing individuals. In addition, the Sheriff's department may call us to aid in evidence searches or body recoveries, so we consistently receive call-outs throughout the year. Take a look at our
incident logs.
How long do the calls take?
It varies tremendously. In rescue situations, where the location of the subject is known, the call can last anywhere from a few hours to several hours, depending on the location and terrain. In search situations, the call can last anywhere from an hour to several days.
What kind of skills and equipment do I need?
Due to the large variety of mountain and wilderness situations the team can be exposed to, it is simply impossible to provide "from the ground up" training in all of these. The objective of team training is to enhance existing skills, not teach novice ones. Potential team member must have outdoor experience in activities such as hiking, climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, and navigation. Experience working in a variety of environments is very desirable since we can be working in 100+ degree weather or in the snow. No one joins the team with a full set of skills, but if you have never hiked a trail, SBCSAR is not for you.
A related subject is equipment. It's assumed that aspiring team members are already experienced "outdoors-type" people. As such, they are likely to own the appropriate outdoor equipment, such as backpacks, boots, clothing, and so forth. Team members must be able to travel through a mountain environment in any weather for extended periods of time, and thus need the
personal equipment required to do this. Specialized equipment is provided by the team; however, the vast majority of equipment required is normal outdoor gear, and must purchased by the applicant. Those starting with nothing can spend several hundred dollars on gear. It is recommended that applicants wait to purchase gear until equipment is discussed in the academy.
What area does the team cover?
We cover the full extent of all 2,550 square miles in Santa Barbara. This includes front side mountains near Santa Barbara the surrounding peaks and trails, beaches such as Jalama, and the myriad of trails within the Los Padres National Forest. Assisting other teams will take us from right next door in Ventura County to more distant regions such as elsewhere in California and other western states.
Where does the money come from for all this?
There is some funding from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's department. This goes towards the team's significant expenses for equipment such as ropes, rescue hardware, stretchers, medical and trauma treatment equipment, and so forth. This is insufficient to cover expenses. The team also receives
donations from charitable foundations, grateful individuals and families. Fund-raising and grant applications require significant effort and account for a major portion of the team's funds for purchasing vehicles and other equipment.
Do you get paid?
No. Everybody is a volunteer, providing their own time for training, team administration, and searches. In addition everyone provides the required personal equipment. We are regularly asked about employment or career opportunities. Because everybody is a volunteer, the normal concepts of employment or career do not apply.
What about dogs?
Currently SBCSAR has two CARDA certified
dog teams. The dog teams are trained extensively in search operations as well as cadaver location.
What other organizations does SBCSAR work with?
We work with a variety of other EMS agencies. On any call, we can be working closely with County and Montecito Fire, Forest Service, ARES, other SAR teams, and CHP. This close interaction with other emergency services requires that every team member be highly training and that we work in a very professional manner.
Are there other teams?
Yes. There are search and rescue teams in each every county in the state. In larger, more diverse counties, such as Los Angeles Country, there are several teams. Take a look at the
Links page for information on other teams.
SBCSAR is a member of the Mountain Rescue Association. This means that we are trained in a variety of disciplines like rock rescue, search theory and snow rescue in accordance to the high standards of the MRA. This certification means that we can call, and be called by, any other MRA team for support. So while most call-outs are in Santa Barbara County, members can also be called out to other counties or states.
Can you tell me more about the time commitment?
This point cannot be emphasized enough. The team will consume a very large proportion of your once-free time. Team members are expected to attend a minimum of half of the trainings and call-outs. While everyone is a volunteer, SBCSAR is looking for people who are willing to give more than the minimum. Many calls occur outside of work hours, but your employer must be able to tolerate you suddenly leaving. People who travel often are not available when required and generally cannot commit to the team.
An Invitation
If you enjoy the outdoors, learning new skills, and working as part of a team, then you are an excellent candidate for SBCSAR. Search and rescue is extremely demanding, requiring highly trained and physically fit members. If, after reading all of the above, spending a few days thinking about it, discussing it with your loved ones, you're still interested, think some more! If you're still interested after all that, learn how to
join the team.
