In the period following the First World War the automobile radically changed the mobility of the urban population of California. Prior to that, the need for wilderness search and rescue was limited; most of those who wandered the countryside were also raised there. As more city dwellers had the opportunity to enjoy nature by taking a quick drive into the woods, more and more people became lost or injured. The response to these emergencies was often a hastily assembled group of citizens led by an official from the local fire or law enforcement agency. With no one formally in charge success was rare. In 1920's the state legislature decided to assign responsibility for wilderness search and rescue to, "the highest law enforcement official in each county". In San Bernardino County, as in most counties, that duty fell to the county sheriff.

For many years there were to few deputies in San Bernardino county to perform these wilderness rescues, so the sheriff formed units of reserve deputies, volunteers who would turn up to assist the sheriff when needed. These volunteers trained and prepared on their own time to perform these often dangerous missions. In the more populous West end of the county search & rescue missions were performed by a specially trained group of patrol deputies. When their unique skills were needed, these men would leave their normal law enforcement duties and rush to assist those in need. The group became known as the West End Search & Rescue Team.

In the early 1980's the population of the Inland Valley increased dramatically. The sheriffs department needed to apply more of its resources to its primary function of law enforcement. It became increasingly difficult to pull deputies from their normal assignments to respond to wilderness emergencies, and the volume of calls did not justify the expense. How could the need be met on a limited Budget? In 1985 a call went out to the public for citizens to form an all volunteer search & rescue team. The men and women who responded to that call became the West Valley Search & Rescue Team.

These volunteers, like the minute men of our revolutionary period, promise to respond when called and they represent a broad cross section of our society. In the early years the team trained 2 weekends a month, as well as several evenings. The first mission was the removal of a dead body from Icehouse Canyon. The young man had died from exposure and was never identified. Many team members recall the incident as the first time they understood the danger and the importance of the work. After that SAR  (search and rescue) ceased to be just fun, it became an earnest mission to save lives.

This work quickly yielded results. Involved in 40 to 50 missions a year the team began to earn the respect of the sheriff's department and other agencies with which it worked. As the team grew in both size and skill it began to form a reputation for excellence that it enjoys today. The department had little cash to spare and it was up to the team to raise funds to complete its mission. With the support from the community the team has been able to maintain and update its equipment and vehicles. One of the uses of the teams funds has been training. Selected team members are sent to the best search and rescue training available and then bring cutting edge knowledge back to their teammates.

In 1989 the team began to go out into the community to teach children how to stay safe and what to do if they get lost. Though it is difficult to measure how effective the program has been, the team has not had to rescue a missing child in several years.

In 1992 the West Valley SAR begun the difficult process required to join the Mountain Rescue Association. To meet the high standards of MRA, the team had to pass a series of tests over several months. In 1993 West Valley Search and Rescue became the first team in San Bernardino county to be accepted into MRA. In recognition of this outstanding effort, the county named West Valley SAR the 1993 Search & Rescue Team of the Year.

As the team grew, and technology progressed, lack of sufficient funding began to limit the team's ability to carry out it's mission. In 1997 the team began the process of becoming a non-profit organization. The team was granted non-profit status by the State of California, and by the Federal Government. This greatly increased the team's ability to raise funds and purchase life saving equipment without placing additional burdens on the people of San Bernardino County. Though donations have increased so has the job. The team will soon need to upgrade its small fleet of off-road vehicles in addition to maintaining its equipment.

Today the West Valley Search and Rescue team has a reputation for excellence that few would have believed possible 15 years ago. In 1999 West Valley Search and Rescue received more requests to assist other teams than calls in its own area. As we enter the new millennium, the team continues to train hard to carry out their life saving work and to strive to be the best. As long as people get into trouble in the wilderness the brave men and women of West Valley will answer the call.

PUBLIC AWARENESS

West Valley SAR expands its search and rescue efforts to go beyond helping those in need. This team is very active in the presentation of preventative search and rescue (PSAR) programs as well as the research and development of PSAR. This team presents the nationally accredited "Hug-a-Tree" program throughout the West Valley area of San Bernardino County, in addition to awareness programs to schools, local organizations and community service groups.

RECRUITMENT

A demanding process is accomplished in order to become a West Valley Search and Rescue team member. Over 100 applications are accepted during the annual recruitment period in which, an average of one or two recruits complete the rigorous requirements to become Rescue members. The current recruit class will be on probation for a minimum of 2 years while training to meet the high standards established by the West Valley Search and Rescue team. While completing the rigorous training program, the recruit is continually tested and reviewed prior to achieving full rescue status. Finally, the recruit must be voted onto the team before becoming a rescue member. If you would like to join our unit, recruitment meetings will be posted on our schedule page.

OUR PLAYGROUND

West Valley SAR's area of responsibility is the Cucamonga Wilderness in the San Bernardino and Angeles National Forest. The area of response includes all mountain and county areas west of Lytle Creek to the Los Angeles County Line and from Mt. Baldy Peak, South to Chino Hills, including the Chino Hills State Park. Due to the vast terrain in the response area, this team is fully equipped and trained to respond to Search and Rescue efforts in alpine, mountain, urban and desert areas. Our rescue unit responds in the West Valley area of San Bernardino County in addition to the mutual assistance of nearby San Bernardino County teams as well as assisting the bordering Los Angeles and Orange County SAR teams. Over 40% of the team's calls are responding to the Cucamonga Canyon where the perilous ridges and walls of the canyon frequently entice and capture hikers and climbers. The San Antonio Falls also offers the hiker an opportunity for trouble. Our response area also includes the San Gabriel Mountain range including the three T's; Thunder, Telegraph, Timber, as well as Ontario and Cucamonga Peaks. The backside of Mt. Baldy, (elevation over 10,000 ft.) offers the kind of outback terrain that has been compared to Whistler in British Columbia and Crested Butte in Colorado. Due to the radical terrain, this spectacular mountain is responsible for 24% of our rescues. Bordering on Orange County, the Chino Hills State Park is one of the largest parks in the California State Park system. While not receiving the notoriety it deserves, the remaining 2% of our efforts are attributed to the tedious but mostly successful task of urban and evidence searches. Recently, the San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services hosted a banquet honoring a number of teams in appreciation for the outstanding work continually done throughout San Bernardino County, the largest county in the United States. The SAR Council of the Inland Empire bestowed the prestigious award of Search and Rescue Team of the Year for 1993 to West Valley Search and Rescue. This is not an annual award, but an honor bestowed only when the SAR Council feels a team has achieved significant accomplishments above and beyond the call of duty.