Long Beach Search & Rescue
Encyclopedia
Long Beach Search and Rescue is a specialist Explorer post
of the Learning for Life
program with the Boy Scouts of America
. It is an urban search and rescue
unit based out of Long Beach, California
, and is sponsored by the Long Beach Police Motor Patrol Association and Long Beach Firefighters' Associations.
On January 10, 2007, Long Beach Search and Rescue was inspected by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and was designated as a Level II — Medium rescue resource, the only known all-volunteer unit to receive this designation. This is a designation that most professional fire departments do not have.
assigned Long Beach Police Motor Patrol Officer Dick Johansen to start Long Beach Search and Rescue as a place for young adults interested in law enforcement. The unit soon grew to become a place for those interested in firefighting and other emergency services as well.
In 1971, Long Beach Search and Rescue was called to assist in rescue and recovery operations at the VA Hospital in Sylmar, California after it collapsed during the Sylmar Earthquake
.
Originally located in a building at the Long Beach Airport, Long Beach Search and Rescue was permanently moved to its current home on the grounds of the Long Beach Fire Training Center in the mid-1980s.
Over the last 40+ years, members have contributed a total of more than 500,000 hours assisting the fire and police departments and their community. The unit has been on national television, including a close up in the pilot episode of the 1972 hit show, "Emergency!
" They have also been featured on the news and in newspapers.
Exploring (Learning for Life)
Exploring is a worksite-based program of Learning for Life, a subsidiary of the Boy Scouts of America, for young men and women who are 14 through 20 years old...
of the Learning for Life
Learning for Life
Learning for Life is a United States school and work-site based youth program that is a subsidiary of the Boy Scouts of America. It utilizes programs designed for schools and community-based organizations that are designed to prepare youth for the complexities of contemporary society and to...
program with the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. It is an urban search and rescue
Urban search and rescue
Urban search and rescue involves the location, extrication, and initial medical stabilization of victims trapped in confined spaces due to natural disasters, structural collapse, transportation accidents, mines and collapsed trenches.USAR teams in different countries may be organised in a...
unit based out of Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, and is sponsored by the Long Beach Police Motor Patrol Association and Long Beach Firefighters' Associations.
On January 10, 2007, Long Beach Search and Rescue was inspected by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and was designated as a Level II — Medium rescue resource, the only known all-volunteer unit to receive this designation. This is a designation that most professional fire departments do not have.
History
In 1962, the Long Beach Police DepartmentLong Beach Police Department (California)
The Long Beach Police Department provides law enforcement for the city of Long Beach, California, USA.-History:In 2004, the department introduced Tasers and distributed them to officers...
assigned Long Beach Police Motor Patrol Officer Dick Johansen to start Long Beach Search and Rescue as a place for young adults interested in law enforcement. The unit soon grew to become a place for those interested in firefighting and other emergency services as well.
In 1971, Long Beach Search and Rescue was called to assist in rescue and recovery operations at the VA Hospital in Sylmar, California after it collapsed during the Sylmar Earthquake
Sylmar earthquake
The 1971 San Fernando earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley near Sylmar, California at 6:00:55 a.m. PST on February 9, 1971, with a magnitude of 6.6....
.
Originally located in a building at the Long Beach Airport, Long Beach Search and Rescue was permanently moved to its current home on the grounds of the Long Beach Fire Training Center in the mid-1980s.
Over the last 40+ years, members have contributed a total of more than 500,000 hours assisting the fire and police departments and their community. The unit has been on national television, including a close up in the pilot episode of the 1972 hit show, "Emergency!
Emergency!
Emergency! is an American television series that combines the medical drama and action-adventure genres. It was produced by Mark VII Limited and distributed by Universal Studios...
" They have also been featured on the news and in newspapers.