Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue

Just at the end of last month, a pair of benefit concerts brought a lot of attention to first responders and the issues the seven agencies and personnel across the county face with equipment and mental health. Fire departments, law enforcement, Emergency Medical Services and Public Safety Dispatchers were all recognized, including the Santa Barbara Sheriff Departments. But one of the Sheriff’s auxiliary organizations known as Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue barely got noticed at all through all the hoopla, speeches, and awards at the events. 

It’s nothing new. The SBCSAR, as the organization is known, is composed entirely of volunteers, who stand ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a week to respond to people needing help anywhere in the wilderness areas of Santa Barbara County, more than 2,500 square miles in all. That includes everything from swift-water emergencies and injured climbers who may or may not require technical rope rescues to medical problems and even hikers who are simply lost and can’t find their way back to their car. 

The group of dedicated and highly trained search and rescue professionals are physically fit enough to travel through a mountain environment in any weather for extended periods of time, and spend countless hours honing their skills in all areas of rescue procedures, including a six-month training program before they’re ever deployed. 

The volunteer team members bring a wide scope of professional experience, some with healthcare experiences such as veterinarians, nurses and doctors, but many more whose background includes working in human resources, software engineering, real estate professionals, general contracting and law enforcement. What they share in common is a commitment to providing critical assistance and support during any search and rescue operation. 

“Most of what we end up doing are trail rescues, people who are injured, dehydrated or lost,” said Jason Copus, SBCSAR’s public information officer. “We get a lot of calls from the front country. Even if somebody’s just lost or overdue, we’re the only group or agency that will respond. We’re solely responsible for searches. But whatever the need is, including things like an avalanche or inland waterway flooding, we’re ready to act.” 

But it’s a good bet a majority of people SBCSAR serves aren’t even aware that the organization – which is its own 501(c)3 nonprofit – even exists. That’s because those who are in need of rescue don’t contact them directly, but rather simply 9-1-1, whose operators assess the need and alert the Sheriff’s Department and SBCSAR. 

What’s more, there’s no fee for the critical services they provide. 

“We don’t get paid for anything,” explained Copus, who has only been part of the volunteer rescue team since 2022, one of the newer members of the organization that boasts several who date back as many as 25 years. “What’s more, the only funding that we get from the County is in vehicle maintenance and fuel. Other than that, we operate solely on donations and grants.”

That means the organization has to find a way to cover everything from off-road vehicles to mountain bikes, ropes, first aid supplies, equipment and other rescue gear. 

“We have a budget of about $400,000 a year that allows us to operate,” Copus said. “It’s what lets us replace equipment and gear that have expirations dates whether they’re used or not, vehicles as they need to be retired, even things like ropes, that must be replaced if they fray on the edge of a rock. And all of the money that we use, we need to raise ourselves.”

A couple of years ago, SBCSAR created a foundation as its own nonprofit to over time raise enough money to create an endowment where the proceeds from investing would be enough to be self-sustaining for the team, Copus said. “It would be great to have a consistent and regular flow of cash from the endowment so we can operate and be comfortable with all the operational costs that we have.”

An easy way to support the organization is coming next weekend, when the foundation hosts its Rescue Roundup 2026 at Santa Barbara Carriage Museum on Saturday evening, October 17. The event features live demos, music and dancing (including line dancing lessons), dinner under the stars, a silent auction and raffle prizes as part of a lively Western-themed evening. Plus, an opportunity to meet a number of team members. 

Fortunately, Copus said, there haven’t been a lot of rescues required in recent months, other than some rattlesnake bites earlier in the spring and early summer. 

“Quite honestly, it’s been quite calm, which has been nice,” he said. 

Some of that might be due to SBCSAR’s efforts and education. Volunteers also regularly visit schools, community groups and even trailheads to teach hiking safety, emergency preparedness and outdoor awareness in an effort to curb the need for rescues. 

“I don’t know if people are tuning in to our hiking safety tips online, but it’s been something we’ve been trying to promote,” Copus said. “Basic things like bringing lots of water, not hiking in the dead of heat and doing things that are very risky. We’ve seen a drastic decrease in those types of calls, so hopefully it’s working.”  

Visit https://sbcsar.org or www.sbsarfoundation.com