San Andreas, CA…The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office is supported by two Volunteer units: the Calaveras County Volunteer Unit and the Calaveras County Volunteer Search and Rescue Team. These volunteers dedicate their time and expertise to deliver specialized services that greatly enhance the safety and well-being of our community. Their commitment to serving the citizens of Calaveras County is instrumental in allowing our Sheriff’s Office to offer a broader range of services and support.
The Calaveras County Volunteer Unit is a group of highly motivated citizen volunteers who assist the Sheriff’s Office by performing numerous administrative assignments, event monitoring, traffic control, vehicle patrol, educational programs, and other assignments. The Volunteer Unit is a non-profit 501(c)(3) rank structured organization with oversight from the Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff. The Volunteer Unit was established in 1989 and has accomplished a wide variety of assignments since its inception.
The Calaveras County Volunteer Unit commenced 2024 with 31 dedicated members, welcoming four new volunteers to the team. Despite several long-time members retiring, the unit concluded the year with 32 members. Together, they worked an impressive 48 events, contributing a remarkable 12,955.5 volunteer hours.
This total set a new high mark and surpasses the previous record of 12,000 hours, first achieved in 2022. Notably, the last three years have consistently seen volunteer hours exceeding this benchmark, a trend that highlights the positive impact of adding new volunteers to the unit.
The following is a breakdown of volunteer unit activity for the year ending December 31, 2024.
Hours
Meetings/Training 1,392
Fairs/Events 2,701
Substations 2,555
Patrol 3,304
Sheriff/Jail Offices 882.5
Unit Administration 1,366
Special Assignments 684
Total Hours 12,955.5
Patrol Miles 62,442.0
Vacation House Checks 76.0
Civil Paper Service Served 27.0
Substation Days Open 622.0
Substation Walk-Ins 729.0
Substation Call-Ins 151.0
Personal Vehicle Miles 27,077.0
The Calaveras County Volunteer Search and Rescue Team (non-profit 501(c)(3)) has been operating for over fifty years. Since 1981, the team has served under the direction of the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office. The Team provides emergency response to persons injured or lost in wilderness areas of Calaveras County. It provides mutual aid to California’s other counties at the direction of the California Office of Emergency Services (OES). During civil emergencies, CCSAR assists the Calaveras Sheriff’s Office with evacuations or other duties as assigned. They maintain proficiencies in search and rescue management, low-angle and high-angle rope rescue, swift water rescue, tracking, alpine terrain rescue, and specially trained dogs to locate missing persons through scent detection.
The following is a breakdown of volunteer unit activity for the year ending December 31, 2024.
Number of search and rescue mission callouts: 9
Hours
Meetings: 665
Searches: 537
Trainings: 1840
Equipment Maintenance: 191
Total hours: 3233
Total Volunteers hours: 16,188.5
On behalf of the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office, we extend our gratitude for your dedicated service and incredible 16,188.5 volunteer hours throughout 2024. Your commitment to our community has significantly impacted the safety and well-being of the citizens we serve. Thank you for the hard work and professionalism you bring. We are proud to have you as part of our team.