On December 6, 2007, at approximately 4:00 p.m., 8 Reserve Deputy Sheriffs and 11 Professional Services Civilian Responders (PSR’s) from the Search and Rescue Reserve Unit responded to Irvine Regional Park to assist with the evacuations of the canyon areas. Additionally, 4 Reserve Deputy Sheriffs from the Operations Reserve Unit assisted with extra patrols and security at the command post.
These sworn and non-sworn volunteer personnel left their regular jobs early, on short notice, to volunteer their time to the community via the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. They worked side by side with the paid investigators and deputies for this mission. The Search and Rescue Humvee and other specialized off road vehicles assigned to the Community Services Division were also utilized to assist in the evacuation effort.
All those who responded to and or coordinated this effort served to make the community safer. Most will get a paycheck for their efforts. The Reserve Deputies and PSR’s served for free. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated volunteer force for these types of emergencies. They are ready, willing and able to respond again if needed this weekend or in the future.