Santa Barbara County Proclaims May 2025 as “Search and Rescue Month”
On May 20, 2025, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors officially proclaimed the month of May as Search and Rescue Month, honoring the exceptional service and sacrifice of the all-volunteer Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue (SBCSAR) team.
SBCSAR is an elite, all-volunteer unit operating under the direction of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Dispatched through the 911 system, the team responds to over 100 emergencies each year across diverse terrain—from technical rope rescues and swiftwater operations to helicopter-supported extractions, storm evacuations, and missing persons searches.
With more than 50 professionally trained volunteers, SBCSAR maintains expertise in K9 operations, UAV technology, alpine and snow rescues, mountain bike deployment, off-road recoveries, and disaster response. The team also provides vital safety education across Santa Barbara County, supporting schools, senior centers, and community groups.
Over the past five years, SBCSAR volunteers have donated more than 46,000 hours of mission response, training, and outreach.
The Santa Barbara Search and Rescue Foundation, established to support and sustain the team’s mission, provides long-term funding for gear, vehicles, training, and community education. The Foundation has no paid staff and operates with minimal overhead, ensuring every dollar directly supports the team’s lifesaving work.
During Tuesday’s proclamation ceremony at the County Administration Building, Sheriff Bill Brown delivered remarks honoring the team, followed by Foundation President John Van Donge, who spoke on behalf of the board and the Foundation’s fundraising efforts.
All rescue services are provided free of charge. The team is proud to serve Santa Barbara County and is committed to saving lives while building a safer, more prepared community.
To learn more or support the mission, visit: www.sbcsar.org and www.SBSARFoundation.com
Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue
Donate now!sbcsar.net
Development Chair: Bruce Hickey
(805) 319-1399
Mission
To provide critical assistance and support during any search and rescue operation.
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We know you care about where your money goes and how it is used. Connect with this organization’s leadership in order to begin to build this important relationship. Your email will be sent directly to this organization’s director of development and/or Executive Director.
Direct Relief is a support organization to organizations nationally and globally, but it is a particular privilege for Direct Relief to support the critical work of Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue and the unpaid volunteer members who do that work in our organizations’ shared home. SBCSAR epitomizes the finest traditions of the concept of public service. The members’ qualifications result from hard work and constant training. They are on-call 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and deploy whenever someone is hurt, lost, missing, or otherwise in need. They do whatever is necessary, wherever the location, to find and bring a person to safety. This type of selfless public service is rare, and it’s why any philanthropic support for SBCSAR is well spent.
Answering the Call: Support Santa Barbara’s Lifesaving Volunteers
Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue (SBCSAR) is the lifeline for those in need across our rugged backcountry.
They need to raise $250,000 annually to keep this critical, life-saving community service running.
Your donation will directly support their ability to respond quickly and effectively:
•$7,500 funds essential rope rescue equipment for high-angle and cliff rescues.
•$18,000 provides a drone for aerial search operations, expanding their ability to locate missing persons quickly.
•$33,000 supports comprehensive training for rescue members, ensuring they are prepared for any situation.
•$150,000 provides the team with a fully equipped “rescue” vehicle for emergency response.
•$16,000 provides insurance and medical resources for the team’s K9 responders.
•$22,000 for search management tools and communication equipment.
Your contribution helps ensure that SBCSAR remains ready to save and serve the community whenever the call comes in.
Key Supporters
Wood Claeyssens Foundation
Direct Relief
One805
Blackbaud Giving Fund
Bragg Foundation
Santa Barbara Foundation
JM Lazarus Foundation
Hutton Parker Foundation