Retired Senior Volunteer
Bill Waibel [more]
Bill Waibel, RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program), of San Clemente By Diana Denk Bill Waibel has performed a wide array of assignments for the Department but one of the most memorable was being put in charge of parking at a special event in San Clemente.
A rowdy guest ignored the signs and drove through the barricades to park in an unauthorized spot.
Bill Waibel is no Deputy, but as a long time member of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program he knew how to find a Deputy when one was needed.
Within minutes green uniforms were all over and the once rowdy guest had quickly undergone an attitude adjustment.
It is a response like that that has Bill Waibel speaking so highly of Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies. San Clemente Police Services relies on volunteers like Will Waibel to provide the public with the level of service they have come to expect from the Orange County Sheriff’ Department.
Waibel was named this year’s “Volunteer of the Year,” in San Clemente.
Before joining the team, Waibel was a mechanical engineer, spending time working around the world in countries that included Australia and Brazil.
After a successful career as an Engineer, Waibel said that one day he was talking with his neighbor, who was a current RSVP member. It sparked his interest.
Waibel joined RSVP in August 2005. The RSVP program has been in place since 1985. It is made up of uniformed volunteer seniors who provide the city with volunteer work such as:
-Beach Patrol
-Vacant Home Checks (residents of San Clemente can request their homes be checked while on vacation)
-Issuing non-moving violations such as expired registration and handicap parking
-Traffic Control in various situations; crime scenes, special events, accidents-Administrative help at the records counter
-Transporting Patrol cars
-Whatever else needs to be done to help sworn personnel.
To become a part of the team, Waibel says you must complete five patrol ride-alongs and work at the front desk. After these steps are completed, you then interview with the RSVP Steering Committee and typically an Administrative Sergeant. If accepted, your eight-hour training begins. You will also need to pass a background check, medical release, and get fingerprinted.
Volunteers offer to work three days a month but, especially in summer when there are many special events in San Clemente, the seniors work many more than the required three days.
Waibel also finds time to help out in the application process for the Spanish speaking Parent Project Class. Having spent seven years in Brazil, he has picked up the Portuguese language, which he finds similar enough to Spanish to use to help register the families for the classes. These classes are put on by the San Clemente Crime Prevention program to help parents with troubled children.
Bill Waibel insists that others are more qualified to be named “Volunteer of the Year.”
Lieutenant Paul D’Auria, San Clemente Chief of Police Services said that Waibel, “set himself apart,” by his dedication and hard work to be recognized for the award.
Lt. D’Auria is proud of Waibel and the rest of the RSVP members. He said they take care of a lot of things that Deputies would ultimately be responsible for completing, and in return it saves the city money.
When not working for RSVP, Waibel also volunteers his time at the Ocean Institute as a mechanic for the tall ships.
He enjoys skiing, sailing, and spending time with his wife and children.
RSVP has proved to be a valuable resource for the San Clemente Police Department, and it is successful because there are people such as Bill Waibel on the Team.
He will take a new position as RSVP Coordinator in April of 2010.