Director's Dialogue January 2010

Just over two years ago Sgt. Jeff Morgan of Volunteer Forces, on behalf of the department, approached the IESARC with a proposed project. It was requested that the IESARC spearhead a program to have a “Civilian Volunteer Memorial” constructed to honor any of our volunteers who may have paid the ultimate sacrifice while on duty with the department.  This was not to be a memorial for search and rescue personnel only, but for all volunteer personnel who have or do serve the department.  We gladly accepted.

The committee was formed and work started.  The committee was charged with designing the memorial, receiving department approval of the design and finding its permanent location.  It was also determined that the committee would have to secure the funds needed, have it constructed, arrange for any engineering plans that may be requested and have it installed.

After a search back to the 1950’s by the department it was determined that only two volunteers had ever perished while on duty with the department.  It was, unfortunately two of our fellow SAR members, Phil Calvert and Scott Johnston, whose names would be on this memorial.  They had succumbed to injuries that they received in an auto accident while responding to a search and rescue mission in June on 2004.

Keeping in mind that an unfortunate turn of events could once again happen to any of our department volunteers, the memorial was designed with this fact in mind.  Lets pray that this never happens again, however if it does we will have a place to honor any other of our fallen hero’s in the future.

After several designs and location considerations, the committee finally received approval from the department to proceed.  All of the components were put into place, funds were raised and the construction began.

I am now happy to announce that the memorial will be installed in the next few days in the main lobby of headquarters.  The department has planned for and will conduct a dedication that will be on Tuesday, January 12, 2010.  There will be a reception at 1 p.m. and the ceremonies will commence at 2 p.m.  This event is open to all of our volunteers in San Bernardino County and your unit uniform will be the dress of the day.

The idea of these ceremonies, I am told by Public Affairs and Volunteer Forces, is to dedicate the memorial itself. However, you are going to hear the names of Phil and Scott being brought up on several occasions.  This event is not intended to be a memorial service for either one of them directly, I have once again been informed of, but you will hear how instrumental they were in helping us to achieve this goal, even after five years since their loss. In June of 2004 we thought we had lost the services of two of our volunteers forever, how surprised we were to find that this was not to be the case.  

The department wanted a permanent memorial, the IESARC wanted to see that this was accomplished and we wanted to honor our fallen hero’s.  Do you know how this was accomplished?  Because of Phil and Scott!

Most if the committee members who stepped forward had been friends with, had served with or had been on missions with these two gentlemen.  Also, their fellow teammates of the San Goronio Search and Rescue Unit contributed a large portion of the funds need to complete this project. 

The donated services of the engineering firm, the wall construction company, the drywall company, donated materials and donated labor were provided by individuals who had worked for, with or had been friends, teammates or acquaintances with Phil and Scott. Could this memorial been constructed without Scott and Phil? Yes, but it would have been a whole lot harder without them and the people that they still touch after all of this time.

In years to come, unfortunately there might be other names added to this memorial. There will be no conversations about how this memorial came about, no one will remember. But, those individuals whose names are put on the memorial will!  When they see Phil and Scott, in that place where all of them meet at, they will be thanked once again.

The CV Memorial Committee members were very delighted that they could step up and help out the department once again.  The committee with was very proud of the fact that they were able to fully fund, design and have the memorial fabricated on their own.  Volunteers helping their fellow volunteers, along with assisting the department, made this a very worthwhile project for them to be involved in.

I want to thank the committee, the outside volunteers who provided goods and services and once again thank Phil and Scott for their “service, commitment and sacrifice”.

The Citizens Volunteer Memorial Committee

Ramon “Ace” Acevedo – West Valley Posse

Dave Atchley – San Gorgonio SAR

Dan Fergot – Incident Support Unit

Julie Haggerty – San Gorgonio SAR

Frank Kams – West Valley SAR

Georgia Nicolet – Morongo Mounted SAR

Ron Pesch – Victor Valley SAR

Christine Stuehramm – SDBO Mtn. SAR

Sandra Sue Taylor – Incident Support Unit

Mike Ward – SB Mountain SAR

Jim Wilk – West Valley Posse

REMINDERS

Directors Breakfast:  All SAR Unit Commanders are requested to attend this breakfast at headquarters on Saturday, January 9^th.  Doors open at 8:30 with breakfast at 9.  Please RSVP by Monday, January 4th to Dave Nicolet.  If you cannot attend please send someone to represent you.  Call and give me that person’s name:  760-831-5743.

Memorial Dedication:  All volunteers are requested to attend in uniform.  The reception is to begin at 1 p.m. with the ceremonies to start at 2.  Tuesday, January 12^th at headquarters.  Please call by Friday January 8^th with a tentative headcount. 

SAR Council Meeting: This meeting will be at headquarters on Wednesday, January 20^th.  Meeting starts at 7 p.m. sharp.

BMC:  Field portion of this certification will be held on January 23^rd and 24^th.  Contact Dan Whitten at Volunteer Forces for information about this event.

HARMS Evaluator Resumes: These resumes with station approval must be turned in to Dan Whitten or Dave Nicolet by no later than January 31^st.

IESARC 2010 Roster Forms: The new rosters for this upcoming year are now overdue. If you have not completed these form please do so and email them back to Nicolet and Whitten at once.

Commanders and Coordinator Meeting: Tenative date for this annual event is February 27^th.  More information is to follow.

Note:  Lt. Glen Grabiec is going to be leaving Volunteer Forces on the 29^th of January. All of us from the IESARC would like to thank him for his dedicated services for the last five years.  We all wish Lt. Grabiec the best at his new assignment.

All of us with the SAR Council hope that you had a very pleasant holiday season.

We also wish you the best during 2010.   The objective for this year is for all of us, our friends and for our families to...

Be Safe

Dave Nicolet, Director
San Bernardino County Sheriff Department’s
Inland Empire Search and Rescue Council
dnicolet@sbsar.org