Director's Dialogue February 2012

I would like to start off by thanking everyone for their time and dedication during the months of December and January. There were a number of searches in and around our county as well as the mutual aid callout to Kern County. Victor Valley had two in one day, Rim SAR had a couple, West Valley SAR, Central and the Cave Team were busy as well. The Morongo Teams had a bone search training, Barstow had a few searches along with a mine training just last week with the Cave Team and San G had a search or two. A number of our units responded to the Kern County search with responders from just about every unit in our county. Thanks to all who participated.

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2012 Sheriff's Trail Run

The 2012 Sheriff's Trail Run (March 11, 2012) will benefit the search and rescue program in San Bernardino County. We need help in getting the word out, and in running the event. Please read your sbsar.org email for further information, and distribute the flyer, linked below.

Set-up will be Saturday, March 10, and there will be a need for ATVs to access a few water stations, and to assist with set-up tasks. Clean-up on Sunday should be finished by the afternoon. 

2012 Sheriff's Trail Run Flyer

Level 2 Avalanche Course

A level 2 Avalanche course is being taught in conjunction with the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort. Cassroom sessions will take place in Southern CA and one of the field sessions will be at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort with Greg French, the manager of their Avalanche Mitigation team. Greg will also be teaching a Level 2 course and we will be bringing all of our students together as a team to participate in two days of field sessions. Below you will find the details for the course.

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ITRS 2011

Once again the International Technical Rescue Symposium met in November to discuss a variety of technical rescue topics. A few representatives from SBSAR were on hand to participate. Below are a sample of some of the presentations offered:

Empirically Derived Breaking Strengths for Basket Hitches and Wrap Three Pull Two Webbing Anchors

Does Nylon Lose 15% of its Strength When Wet?

Suspension Trauma Revisited

If you are interested in attending or presenting, the 2012 call for papers has been posted, and the registration will open soon. In 2012 the symposium will be in Seattle, WA.

SAR Volunteers Recognized

Efforts to integrate GIS with SAR mission operations recently took a leap forward. Read the details on the ESRI blog.

BSAR Oct 2011

More than 32 students graduated from October's BSAR Academy. This is the first certification that new SBSAR members must complete. Basic search techniques, survival skills, and land navigation are among the myriad topics covered.

Gift of Love 2011

As most of you know the Sheriff’s Gift of Love Program is Saturday, December 10, 2011. This is the 14th year of a very heartwarming and successful event, successful, due in part, to Search and Rescue’s participation.

Once again, I’m asking for your help in giving mothers and children, living in domestic violence shelters, a Christmas they wouldn’t have without us; a Christmas they’ll never forget. At a very dark and depressing time in their lives someone cared…We cared!

Here’s what I need:

Arrive at the location (distributed in email to your sbsar.org account), and be at your best. This means look sharp and be ready to have fun putting smiles on the young one’s faces, Mom’s too!

Please follow your chain of command and have ONE PERSON from each unit, which plans on participating, contact me with your resource numbers and info ASAP.

We give a gift of love that gets returned. You’ll never forget the child that hugs your leg and says, “Can I come home with you?”

Thanks for your many years of participation!

Mike Ward
SAR Council

BMC Field Test

BMC will be held at Snow Valley Ski Resort in Running Springs. The date is January 21-22 2012. Registration is required. Please contact Dave Alexander at Volunteer Forces 909-387-0678. In order to participate in BMC, an individual must be cleared by Dave Alexander a head of time.

Certification students: the weekend will be run similar to a SAR mission. There will not be scheduled food or toilet breaks. Eat, drink and rest on the fly throughout the day when rare opportunities present themselves. Wear slippery pants and jacket for ice axe arrest. You should show up at the parking area by at least 0630 with full packs in order to begin walking at 0700 on Saturday. You possibly will not have a significant break until you go to bed late that night. There are no toilet facilities where you will be camping. All human waste is to be packed out. Festivities for the second day begin just after sun up on  Sunday and will end in the afternoon. Our meeting location is at the western portion of the Snow Valley main parking lot at GPS NAD27, 0496308, 3786727. There is good cell phone coverage. The 155 radios will be monitored on channel 11, TAC 1. Consider sleeping at that location next to your car on Friday night in order to assist with acclimatization. Participants must officially check out on Sunday in order to receive credit.

Recertification students: in order to participate, registration is mandatory with Dave Alexander at  Volunteer Forces. Please do not simply show up at the site hoping to be tested. Be prepared to begin walking at 0700 on Sunday. Meet at the location noted above. Consider sleeping next to your car on Saturday night to assist with acclimatization. This is a test. Instruction will not be given. Feel free to join the certification students on Saturday if needed. Any avalanche beacon can be used for the test. It is  strongly suggested you test with a device you are intimately familiar with. Wear slippery pants and jacket for ice axe arrest. The test will end late Sunday afternoon. Only registrants who officially check out will be given credit.

For more information please contact Sonny Lawrence at email: slawrence AT sbsar
DOT org or phone 909-255-6036.

Whitten Recognized for SAR Service

Cpl. Dan Whitten was recognized at the last IESARC meeting for his service at Volunteer Forces. He is now fighting crime in Yucaipa. I am certain that his new hat strikes fear in the hearts of criminals everywhere.

Director's Dialogue November 2011

The months of September and October were very busy months for the members of our SAR units. There were numerous countywide callouts, unit activities and department wide events going on continuously over these last two months. The Sheriff’s Rodeo, SAR City, BSAR and The Sheriff Jamboree Ride did in-fact manage to keep our members very busy, along with the various callouts.

However, unfortunately, the 6th Annual Countywide MSAR Training was once again cancelled due to a countywide callout on the same day and at the same location that the training was to be held. This, along with the same training that was cancelled due to an equine virus earlier this year, was very disappointing. The members of the Apple Valley Posse on both occasions have had the training already to go when they have been notified of this news. But, giving them credit that they so richly deserve, they are undeterred and are bound and determined to still host this training at yet another time. This will be determined by them and our MSAR Committee in the near future. I would like to thank all of members of their unit for their hard work and determination.

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