Purpose:
The purpose of this order is to establish a uniformed operation for the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team. Whenever the team is called into service, supervision by a Level I-reserve deputy sheriff or full-time deputy sheriff is required, due to the fact that all of the members of the search and rescue team are Level 2-reserve deputy sheriffs or volunteers. This Unit Order is a guideline only, as not all situations and circumstances can be anticipated.
Definitions:
Call Out – Anytime search and rescue team members are requested to respond to an incident. Incidents can include but are not limited to persons that are lost, injured, vehicle over the side and persons missing under unknown circumstances (On-call Coordinator (when required) and Reserve Operations Leader will respond).
Searches – Whenever search and rescue team members respond to a location and deploy to search an area for a person or property related to a call out (On-call Coordinator (when required) and Reserve Operations Leader will respond).
Rescues – When search and rescue team members locate and assist a person to safety that is related to a call out (On-call Coordinator (when required) and Reserve Operations Leader will respond).
Use of Search and Rescue Vehicles by Altadena Civilian Volunteers
All Altadena Mountain Rescue Team Civilian Volunteers must possess a valid California Driver’s License and attend the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department civilian volunteer driver course prior to operating any department vehicle.
Civilian volunteers shall not respond code 3 (lights and siren) in any department vehicles unless they have attended a POST certified class or completed Learning Domain #19 (certificates must be provided to the station SAR coordinator).
Search and Rescue Reserve Deputies and Civilian Volunteer Responsibilities
All deployments must be two (2) reserve deputies and 1 or more civilian volunteers.
Day of the week:
Default deployment day is Sunday. On team training Sundays in the AMRT area, deployment will be conducted concurrently with team training. A minimum of two members involved in team training should be designated for response to incidents.
The senior member of deployment may coordinate with other assigned members to conduct an alternate Saturday deployment.
Hours:
Default deployment times change for winter and summer. Winter hours are 1300 to 1700. Summer hours are 1500 to 1900.
The senior member of deployment may coordinate with other assigned members to conduct an alternate deployment from 0800 to 1200.
Frequency:
Members should be assigned a deployment approximately once per quarter.
Status:
The senior member of a deployment will determine the activities conducted during deployment.
Personnel are required to be in uniform for deployment, at the HQ, or near an AMRT vehicle, and ready to respond to an incident.
Scheduling:
Personnel making substitutions for deployment should inform the Operations Officer as soon as reasonably possible.
The Operations Officer, at their discretion, should schedule deployment quarterly based on the availability of the individual from dates provided to the Operations Officer prior to the schedule’s creation.