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Manual of Policy and Procedures / Volume 5 - Line Procedures / Chapter 6 - Emergency and Disaster

5-06/050.05 - Out-Of-County Search and Rescue Team Operations


5-06/050.00 - Search or Rescue Operations
5-06/050.10 - Base Camp

All requests for Search and Rescue (SAR) team assistance outside the County must be routed through the State Office of Emergency Services' (OES) duty officer (24‑hour telephone number, (916) 262-1621).  This will ensure that such requests are official mutual aid requests.  The OES duty officer will issue a mission number and then make an official request to the Sheriff or his designee.  The Emergency Services Detail (ESD) Duty Sergeant is the Sheriff's designee for these requests.

The ESD Duty Sergeant shall record the mission number and coordinate a response through the participating Stations/Units.

Responding SAR Team members may wear their authorized Department uniform.  County purchased team equipment may be taken out of the County if sufficient back-up equipment is available to handle in-County requests.

Based on availability, County vehicles are authorized to be taken out of the County by SAR personnel responding to official OES requests or to specialized training sites. Specialized rescue trucks cannot be taken out of the County without specific approval of the mountain rescue chief.

Search and rescue personnel responding to these requests are considered state disaster workers and are covered by State Worker's Compensation.

Each concerned Station/Unit coordinator (or his designee) shall accomplish the following:

  • Provide the ESD Duty Sergeant with a roster of all search and rescue personnel responding to the out-of-County request;
  • Verify with the ESD Duty Sergeant the current status of the operation prior to sending any additional SAR personnel out of the County;
  • Update the ESD Sergeant with any information received from SAR personnel on the scene that may affect the operation;
  • Notify the ESD Duty Sergeant once the Station/Unit search and rescue personnel have returned from an out-of-County operation;
  • Notify the Reserve Forces Bureau or, if other than normal business hours, notify the Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau and have a log entry made.  That notification should contain the following information:
    • The number of personnel responding;
    • Their team affiliation;
    • The agency initiating the request;
    • The location to which they are responding; and
    • A brief description of the incident;
  • Further notification shall be made when the team members return to Los Angeles County.

No on-duty, full-time paid Deputy shall respond to an out-of-County search and rescue request from the Office of Emergency Services without the approval of the concerned Deputy's Division Chief.