Search and Rescue- anyone volunteer?

Mtb275

Member
Recently when I was out wheeling I was approached by a Sheriff who suggested I volunteer for the Jeep Search and Rescue Unit.

It sounded interesting and I did some research, I do want to make sure my work is ok with it, because it could interfere with my work if I am out on a call.

Just curious if anyone here is doing Search and Rescue Volunteer work. And if so, what are your thoughts about it.


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 

WJCO

Meme King
I've thought about this as well. Subscribed. I backpack a lot as is, so I've thought about expanding that to help others.
 

NevadaZielmeister

Caught the Bug
Recently when I was out wheeling I was approached by a Sheriff who suggested I volunteer for the Jeep Search and Rescue Unit.

It sounded interesting and I did some research, I do want to make sure my work is ok with it, because it could interfere with my work if I am out on a call.

Just curious if anyone here is doing Search and Rescue Volunteer work. And if so, what are your thoughts about it.

I spent almost 3 years in Search and Rescue with the Washoe County Sheriff's Department HASTY team. I was involved in open water rescue, underwater rescue (Diver), swift water rescue, and backcountry rescue. We were known as more a "strike team" in that we had higher standards for training. So we got to play a lot with helicopters and specialized vehicles.

I can tell you that if you have no life (no kids, no wife, no relationship, etc.) then it is totally worth it. But when you have other attachments, you will find it hard to get out on calls. The biggest frustration is the "Code 4"'s that we would get more than 75% of the time. It is always the same, you get a call and you all mobilize for a missing person, only to find that the person is at home or was only a little bit behind at the trailhead. We had a situation where we were in active search mode for someone. The sergeant was there coordinating and it was quite a show with boats, a helicopter and divers staging just off the shore. This attracted a guy who walked up and asked what was going on. The sergeant explained they were looking for someone. When the guy asked who they were looking for and the sergeant told him, the guy said "Hey, that's me!"

I suspect that they were looking to you for SVU (Special Vehicles Unit) to assist with missing hikers and such. The benefits would be a police ID, which would show up on the CLETS system along with discounts via pro deals for some of the best equipment in the industry. But the time commitment is substantial. You have to be active, that is the thing. That means heading out to every call.

Ohh.. and get used to picking up dead bodies and miscellaneous body parts. If you have no problems with the feel and smell of biological components, then you are golden.
 

fiend

Caught the Bug
I've been with Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department SAR for 4+ years. As stated above, it is time consuming (training and callouts) and sometimes frustrating (cancelled calls after you roll, etc.), but it is also a lot of fun and a good way to get outside and keep in shape.


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 

Mtb275

Member
I spent almost 3 years in Search and Rescue with the Washoe County Sheriff's Department HASTY team. I was involved in open water rescue, underwater rescue (Diver), swift water rescue, and backcountry rescue. We were known as more a "strike team" in that we had higher standards for training. So we got to play a lot with helicopters and specialized vehicles.

I can tell you that if you have no life (no kids, no wife, no relationship, etc.) then it is totally worth it. But when you have other attachments, you will find it hard to get out on calls. The biggest frustration is the "Code 4"'s that we would get more than 75% of the time. It is always the same, you get a call and you all mobilize for a missing person, only to find that the person is at home or was only a little bit behind at the trailhead. We had a situation where we were in active search mode for someone. The sergeant was there coordinating and it was quite a show with boats, a helicopter and divers staging just off the shore. This attracted a guy who walked up and asked what was going on. The sergeant explained they were looking for someone. When the guy asked who they were looking for and the sergeant told him, the guy said "Hey, that's me!"

I suspect that they were looking to you for SVU (Special Vehicles Unit) to assist with missing hikers and such. The benefits would be a police ID, which would show up on the CLETS system along with discounts via pro deals for some of the best equipment in the industry. But the time commitment is substantial. You have to be active, that is the thing. That means heading out to every call.

Ohh.. and get used to picking up dead bodies and miscellaneous body parts. If you have no problems with the feel and smell of biological components, then you are golden.

WOW, Nevada, you did this as a volunteer or as a profession? Great info thank you.

This unit is called Jeep Rescue Unit, mainly to assist Sheriff in Search and Rescue.

My basic understanding is we become 'driver and vehicle' to help get to more remote locations. Maybe 15 call outs a year.

I've only discussed it with the commander by email. I'm setting up a face to face Meeting.



Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 

NevadaZielmeister

Caught the Bug
WOW, Nevada, you did this as a volunteer or as a profession? Great info thank you.

This unit is called Jeep Rescue Unit, mainly to assist Sheriff in Search and Rescue.

My basic understanding is we become 'driver and vehicle' to help get to more remote locations. Maybe 15 call outs a year.

This was a volunteer position. I did become a professional DiveMaster out of it all, but can't even enjoy the fun of teaching people SCUBA through PADI because of the family constraints (4 and 6 year old children).

Yes, you would be there to assist with transport of people and supplies. I would normally get to the staging area and then get a ride from the SVU guys via UTV's and ATV's. The biggest concern was keeping ourselves safe. Our team stressed being completely self sufficient, able to handle multiple nights out there. The worst thing to happen is when weather rolls in and the members from other teams needed to be rescued. Such a waste of resources, something we saw on a regular basis. Those searches on TV look cool but there is almost always internal turmoil and politics. Kinda like marriage, right? Or even our rigs. They look cool but man, what a bunch of work they need, right?

Please let me know if you have any other questions. If I had more free time, I would love to rejoin the teams, but for now, busy with children. I miss some things, not others.
 

NevadaZielmeister

Caught the Bug
They also don't hesitate to volnteer you for other activities including parking and traffic detai.

Sent from my SM-G930V using WAYALIFE mobile app

Oh yeh! Right! I forgot about that. Like when they send you out with badges telling people about mandatory evacuations. Imagine knocking on doors and telling people they have only moments to collect their things and need to leave their homes "NOW".

And don't get me started on searching for the elderly with dementia through downtown Reno... or even when you come across an illegal drug operation and they start shooting at you. Never happened to me but I heard stories. Yikes.

But above all, the toughest were the suicides. The fire and police would ask us to collect everything. Kinda disturbing.

I'll get off now, the stories could just keep coming and coming...
 

Sharkey

Word Ninja
And don't forget that the last Washoe County sheriff (not sure about the current one) would not let volunteers who happened to have their CCW's carry while out on these searches. I know this was a pretty big issue with some of the volunteers, and it is one of the reasons that I (and many other people I know who also have extensive backcountry experience) have not volunteered my time.
 

fiend

Caught the Bug
I think the expectations, time demands, responsibilities and experiences will vary greatly among various SAR teams. Among other things, some teams have a law enforcement aspect (SAR members are expected to become reserve deputy sheriffs), while other teams are partially or wholly civilian volunteers who do not do LEO stuff.


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 

Mtb275

Member
And don't forget that the last Washoe County sheriff (not sure about the current one) would not let volunteers who happened to have their CCW's carry while out on these searches. I know this was a pretty big issue with some of the volunteers, and it is one of the reasons that I (and many other people I know who also have extensive backcountry experience) have not volunteered my time.

This will be a question I need to ask. The Sheriff is very pro gun and has said in public every law abiding citizen should have a CCW.

I think the expectations, time demands, responsibilities and experiences will vary greatly among various SAR teams. Among other things, some teams have a law enforcement aspect (SAR members are expected to become reserve deputy sheriffs), while other teams are partially or wholly civilian volunteers who do not do LEO stuff.


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app

This wholly civilian volunteers.

These are all good questions to ask. I like the idea of volunteering, but I'm concerned about time restraints.



Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 

fiend

Caught the Bug
Having a CCW as a private citizen and carrying a gun while in the field with a uniform and looking (to the (public) like a Sheriffs Department employee are two different things. Maybe I'm wrong but I would be very surprised if any sheriff would let civilian volunteers carry while "on duty" for SAR work. If they want or need SAR people to carry, becoming a reserve deputy will be a requirement I would think.


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 

Sharkey

Word Ninja
I'm not talking about volunteers in uniform, at least not in the regular sense...and I am also really talking about just having a weapon in your vehicle.
 
Last edited:

NevadaZielmeister

Caught the Bug
And don't forget that the last Washoe County sheriff (not sure about the current one) would not let volunteers who happened to have their CCW's carry while out on these searches. I know this was a pretty big issue with some of the volunteers, and it is one of the reasons that I (and many other people I know who also have extensive backcountry experience) have not volunteered my time.

Wow Sharkey, you DO know about that situation. I wasn't going to bring that up but yeh, we had a search and recovery (the victim died about 6 months prior to be discovered) and were told that we could not use a firearm while the team stayed with the body (I had to get back home..again, kids). So there they were, guarding the body (food to the other animals, like bears and coyotes) with a hope and a prayer.

Thankfully that changed with the new sheriff.
 

Sharkey

Word Ninja
I wasn't sure if the new sheriff changed the policy. I am glad to hear that he did.

For a number of reasons, having a weapon in your vehicle is a "no brainer" to me in the Nevada back country.
 

Thunder

Member
Interesting stuff. I think it would be a great experience and would probably volunteer if I was single and without children. But there's no way I could work it into my current schedule, unfortunately.
 

desrt4x

New member
I have been with SAR for a few years now and I am glad to be able to help.
Our unit has to qualify through the sheriff department in order to carry a weapon, not easy and takes practice so another cost is bullets for practice. Qualification is once a year and you have to be in the unit for 1 full year, probation does not count.
One thing to think about that has not been mentioned is the cost. Being a volunteer you buy your own gear and uniforms. You pay for repairs that may happen unless your unit approves the repair.
Then you have the cost of things you will need like 24hour pack, hikiing gear, 48hour pack, outfit your jeep for night rescues and just rescues in general. Different GPS units due to hiking and then I have an iPad and iPhone with Gaia gps along with Leadnav so I don't get lost and you have to send in the track that you did to command so they know what went on.
I can't make every call out but I have been on more then I can count. Nothing like a call at 02:00 for someone that called 911, no idea where they are but you finally find them 30 miles in the desert and they ran out of gas. But you also have the very needed calls that require manpower for the search area, like a lost hiker and you are the one that finds them where they fell down a cliff at night but they are alive. Or the dreaded body recovery that will happen unfortunately along with the walk away elder that happens almost monthly.
Then you have the fires that need extra personnel and they call SAR to do roadblocks for12 hours or more.
But I am glad to be able to help and I do see a need for volunteering.
One more thing, when you are on a call out you get reimbursed for gas.:clap2:
 

Sgt_USMC

Active Member
I know this is an old thread, but wondered if anyone currently volunteers for SAR? I’m looking into it. I’m disabled, so also seeing if my Jeep might be of use to them and/or assisting in other ways that I can do without aggravating my injuries.
 
Top Bottom