Altadena Mountain Rescue
Encyclopedia
The Altadena Mountain Rescue Team is staffed by reserve Los Angeles County Sheriff
deputies (all volunteer). The organization's goals are saving lives through mountain rescue and safety education. Headquartered at the Altadena
Sheriff’s Station, near the San Gabriel Mountains
, the team is operational 24 hours each day, 365 days every year. It is one of eight teams in the Los Angeles County which, together, are staffed by 120 trained members.
. The Altadena Mountain Rescue Team is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to saving lives through mountain rescue and safety education. It has been a member unit of the Sheriff's Department Reserve Forces Bureau since 1956.
Headquartered at the Altadena Sheriff's Station, the team is staffed by reserve deputies and is operational 24 hours each day, 365 days every year. It is one of eight teams in the Los Angeles County which, together, are staffed by 120 trained members.
On the average, the Altadena Mountain rescue Team assists approximately 100 lost or injured hikers and conducts almost 40 searches and rescues every year. In addition to those rescues within Los Angeles County, the team has also participated in rescue operations throughout California, and in New York, Hawaii, and Mexico.
The team conducts weekend patrols of the mountain areas within its jurisdiction, namely the 20 canyons behind Altadena and Pasadena. Members are assigned weekend duty on a rotating basis, which averages once every month. These patrols ensure a quick response to emergencies during a time when they are most likely to occur, and serve as a means of fire prevention and mountain safety.
Mountain rescue team members come from all walks of life. The professional occupations of volunteer members have included: teachers, paramedics, construction contractors, lawyers, registered nurses, chiropractors, mechanical and electronic engineers, physician assistants, police officers, firemen, and corporate managers.
As a nonprofit corporation, the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team is governed by a five-member Board of Directors. Each member is elected during an annual election and serves a one-year term. The positions comprising the board are: President (Captain), Vice President (Lieutenant), Secretary Ops (Sergeant), Quartermaster (Sergeant), and Public Relations Chairman (Sergeant).
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
deputies (all volunteer). The organization's goals are saving lives through mountain rescue and safety education. Headquartered at the Altadena
Altadena, California
Altadena is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States, approximately from the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center, and directly north of the city of Pasadena, California...
Sheriff’s Station, near the San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
, the team is operational 24 hours each day, 365 days every year. It is one of eight teams in the Los Angeles County which, together, are staffed by 120 trained members.
About the Team
Established in 1951, it is the oldest organization of its kind in Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
. The Altadena Mountain Rescue Team is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to saving lives through mountain rescue and safety education. It has been a member unit of the Sheriff's Department Reserve Forces Bureau since 1956.
Headquartered at the Altadena Sheriff's Station, the team is staffed by reserve deputies and is operational 24 hours each day, 365 days every year. It is one of eight teams in the Los Angeles County which, together, are staffed by 120 trained members.
On the average, the Altadena Mountain rescue Team assists approximately 100 lost or injured hikers and conducts almost 40 searches and rescues every year. In addition to those rescues within Los Angeles County, the team has also participated in rescue operations throughout California, and in New York, Hawaii, and Mexico.
The team conducts weekend patrols of the mountain areas within its jurisdiction, namely the 20 canyons behind Altadena and Pasadena. Members are assigned weekend duty on a rotating basis, which averages once every month. These patrols ensure a quick response to emergencies during a time when they are most likely to occur, and serve as a means of fire prevention and mountain safety.
Mountain rescue team members come from all walks of life. The professional occupations of volunteer members have included: teachers, paramedics, construction contractors, lawyers, registered nurses, chiropractors, mechanical and electronic engineers, physician assistants, police officers, firemen, and corporate managers.
As a nonprofit corporation, the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team is governed by a five-member Board of Directors. Each member is elected during an annual election and serves a one-year term. The positions comprising the board are: President (Captain), Vice President (Lieutenant), Secretary Ops (Sergeant), Quartermaster (Sergeant), and Public Relations Chairman (Sergeant).