The purpose of this website is to announce upcoming events that Long Beach Search and Rescue will be holding with a focus on recruiting events as well as ways to contacting us.
THIS IS A NON-EMERGENCY WEBSITE. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY DIAL 911.
About Us
Long Beach Search & Rescue is an award-winning Specialist Explorer Post that recruits and trains the “Leaders of Tomorrow”.
We provide young adults an opportunity to serve the public during emergency situations through a program of community service.
We were founded in 1962. We are the oldest youth Explorer Post still in continuous operation in the nation.
We are all volunteers – no one is paid. Long Beach Search & Rescue has trained over 1,220 young men and women. Several hundred of these young volunteers have gone onto become professional police officers, firefighters, and paramedics.
The Long Beach Police Department has hired 32 of their youth members. The Long Beach Fire Department has hired 62 of their youth members. The various branches of the United States Military have recruited 43 of their youth members.
We are co-sponsored by the Long Beach Motor Patrol Association and the Long Beach Firefighters’ Associations.
Our specialty is Urban Search & Rescue. Since 2007, the Unit has been typed as a Level II-Medium rescue resource by the State Office of Emergency Services (Cal-OES) Fire/Rescue Branch. Since 2008, the Unit has also been typed as a Level III-Light rescue resource by Cal-OES.
Since 2010, the Unit has been certified for SAR mutual aid as a Type 3 Ground Searcher and Type 3 SAR/US&R disciplines with the Law Enforcement Branch of Cal-OES and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Besides weekly training sessions, the members respond to emergency incidents at the request of the Long Beach Police and Fire Departments.
We assist the Fire Department at 2nd Alarm and greater fire incidents, at haz-mat incidents, at aircraft accidents, and natural disasters, such as during severe wind and rain storms and high tide flooding.
We assist the Police Department at missing person searches, evidence searches, SWAT team incidents, major crime scenes, officer involved shooting investigations, and canvassing neighborhoods with crime flyers.
Search & Rescue provides the emergency personnel working these incidents with refreshments, snacks, and meals from their mobile kitchen. They provide emergency lighting to fire and crime scenes after dark and during power failure blackouts. They provide trained, uniformed members to support the Fire and Police Department personnel at their command posts and emergency incident locations at least twice every month.
Search & Rescue also provides safety support at many community events throughout the year. They assist at the Ready Long Beach and other City safety fairs, Fire Department recruit graduations, Spark of Love & holiday toy giveaways, Scout-O-Rama, and monthly Police Department sobriety checkpoints.
Each year, the members of Search & Rescue volunteer over 21,000 hours of service to the community. Over the past 58 years, the members have volunteered 1,025,631 hours of community service. This equates to a value of over $32.3 million.
We currently have 54 youth members, and 42 adult leaders. Almost all of the adult leaders started as youth members.
Here are the career success stories of current and former Search & Rescue members:
32 Youth Members hired by the Long Beach Police Department
62 Youth Members hired by the Long Beach Fire Department
22 Youth Members hired by the Los Angeles City Fire Department
11 Youth Members hired by the Los Angeles County Fire Dept.
6 Youth Members hired by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept.
24 Youth Members hired by other Police Departments
50 Youth Members hired by other Fire Departments
43 Youth Members enlisted in the United States Military
Mission Statement
Through a program of community service, the mission of Long Beach Search & Rescue is to provide young adults exposure to careers in public safety and opportunities to grow personally and professionally.
Upcoming Events
On October 5th, 2021, the Unit will conduct its annual orientation meeting and distribute applications for membership. This orientation meeting is held only once a year. Interested young adults should attend with their parents for this one-hour meeting. Usually, we have 100 to 150 interested youth each year.
We have a selection process that includes an interview, physical ability exam, and background check. The top 40 youth are selected to begin a Basic Rescue Recruit Academy that meets every Tuesday night for 16 weeks.
The Recruit Academy training includes classes in ropes and knots, radio communications, search operations, traffic control, fire behavior, fire suppression and extinguishment, and vehicle inventory and maintenance.
The recruits learn about teamwork, personal responsibility, and leadership.
After they graduate from the Recruit Academy, weekly training includes firearm safety, vehicle extrication, ladder and hose operations, helicopter operations, Basic Life Support, rope rescue systems, and hazardous materials awareness.
Our requirements to apply are:
• Be at least 15 and not yet 19 years of age by the start of the academy
• Have no felony convictions
• Demonstrate high moral and citizenship standards
• Maintain at least a “C” grade average in school
• Be physically fit and willing to devote a substantial amount of time to training, public events, and emergency call-outs.
Motivated young adults who are interested in public safety careers are encouraged to attend the next orientation meeting on Tuesday, October 5th, 2021 at 7 pm at 2247 Argonne Ave, Long Beach. We are located behind Fire Station 17 and the Long Beach Fire Department Captain David Rosa Regional Training Center.