Sheriff's Department Seeks to Improve Search and Rescue Operations by Kevin Vest - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 01 02 03 04 05
View Events
Submit Events
directory

Sheriff's Department Seeks to Improve Search and Rescue Operations

By Kevin Vest, Community Writer
April 6, 2016 at 12:58pm. Views: 159

MORENO VALLEY >> The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is responsible for all Search and Rescue (SAR) calls for help within the unincorporated areas of Riverside County. Annually, the Sheriff’s Department responds to 150-170 SAR related incidents. The number of SAR operations continue to increase over the years as the county continues to grow. Over the past few years, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has been researching the concept of utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for SAR operations. UAVs have proven helpful when they were used successfully in life-saving efforts during California fires and Colorado flooding incidents. The Department has entered into a test agreement with Sentera LLC, headquartered in Minnesota, to use their Phoenix aircraft style Unmanned Aerial System during a one year, no cost, evaluation period. Sentera personnel have extensive experience in the development and application of Unmanned Systems, focusing in the areas of agriculture and first responders. Sentera systems exceed all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department regulations and requirements to be authorized for operation. Government agencies are required to apply for and receive a Certificate of Authorization from the FAA prior to operating UAVs in pre-approved areas. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department applied for a Certificate, it was approved and is effective March 28, 2016. The Riverside County Sheriff Department's use of UAVs will focus solely on SAR operations where a fixed wing UAV could be deployed quickly to supplement current aviation resources. UAVs may potentially result in quicker life-saving rescues due to their ability to rapidly help search for missing children, lost or injured hikers or people who are listed as “at-risk missing” because of a known medical condition. The Sheriff supports exploring this resource in order to protect lives and is looking forward to this economical one year public-private test partnership with Sentera. The Department hopes that the use of Sentera Phoenix will improve their ability to direct critical life-saving resources towards saving lives during SAR operations, while also providing a significant cost savings for taxpayers.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: Steven Moore and provided courtesy of SBCUSD

By William Cortez, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:40pm. Views: 695

Pacific High School students and staff celebrated a prestigious statewide honor on Sept. 17 as Justice Corey G. Lee, Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two, personally presented the school with the 2026 California Civic Learning Award of Distinction. (l-r) San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Hon. R. Glenn Yabuno, San Bernardino County Superior Court Presiding Judge Rodney A. Cortez, Pacific High School teacher CJ Eastwood, Pacific High School Principal Dr. Natalie Raymundo, California Court of Appeals Associate Justice Corey G. Lee and San Bernardino Superior Court Executive Officer Anabel Z. Romero celebrated the school’s receipt of the 2026 California Civic Learning Award of Distinction during a special presentation ceremony.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.csusb.edu/

By William Cortez, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:40pm. Views: 767

National Science Foundation-supported program provides hands-on geological research and career preparation near one of California's most significant fault systems. The mountains surrounding San Bernardino offer some of Southern California's most dramatic scenery, but beneath that landscape lies a geological system that has shaped the region for millions of years.

Photo Courtesy of: Dignity Health’s - Community Hospital of San Bernardino and St. Bernardine Medical Center

By Amanda Spence, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:40pm. Views: 1300

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Oct. 27, 2026 – Dignity Health’s - Community Hospital of San Bernardino (CHSB) and St. Bernardine Medical Center (SBMC), members of CommonSpirit Health, announced today they earned 8 recognitions from Healthgrades, a national leading resource for patients seeking information about hospitals and physicians. The 2027 honors recognize their collective commitment to delivering clinical excellence and compassionate care to patients.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 11, 2026 at 08:19am. Views: 37

A sweeping decision involving California's most serious criminal sentences has drawn strong opposition from San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson, placing the county's chief prosecutor at the center of a statewide debate over justice, victims' rights and executive authority.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By William Cortez, Community Writer

November 11, 2026 at 08:19am. Views: 49

With winter approaching, emergency officials are coordinating flood prevention, roadway maintenance and public alerts to help residents prepare for dangerous weather. A heavy rainstorm can change the landscape of San Bernardino in a matter of hours. Streets that ordinarily carry commuters and school buses can become difficult to navigate, drainage channels can fill rapidly, and neighborhoods near foothills may face increased risks from flooding and debris.

Photo Courtesy of: San Bernardino's California Theatre from 1930

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

November 11, 2026 at 08:19am. Views: 43

Nearly a century after opening its doors, the downtown landmark remains an important connection between the city's entertainment history and its cultural future. In downtown San Bernardino, the California Theatre of the Performing Arts stands as a reminder of a time when attending a movie or live performance was one of the most anticipated social occasions in a growing Southern California city.

Photo Courtesy of: BBOP Center

By Justus Baker-Postell, Community Writer

November 11, 2026 at 08:19am. Views: 54

BBOP Information Session The Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit (BBOP) Center, an Inland Empire economic and workforce development hub and a project of Time for Change Foundation, has launched Pathways to Prosperity, its Employment Training Pathway Program (ETPP), a comprehensive workforce initiative designed to connect residents facing barriers to employment with the skills, credentials, hands-on experience and employer relationships needed to enter and advance in high-demand careers.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 14, 2026 at 11:03am. Views: 1665

Festive University of Redlands Homecoming celebration, with alumni, students, and families gathered on campus wearing maroon Bulldogs apparel. A bulldog mascot greets attendees while cheerleaders and a marching band perform near decorated tents and balloons, with university buildings and mountains in the background.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:19pm. Views: 3119

The City of Redlands will host Plane-or-Treat at Redlands Municipal Airport on October 25, featuring trick-or-treating, entertainment and family activities. An AI-generated illustration

Photo Courtesy of: California Historical Society Collection, USC Libraries Special Collections.

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:22pm. Views: 1309

As Redlands continues to grow, its surviving citrus groves offer a living connection to the industry that shaped the city's neighborhoods, economy and identity. Orange trees heavy with fruit line a grove in Redlands around 1900, with snow-covered Mount San Bernardino visible in the distance. The photograph documents the citrus industry that played a central role in the city's early development.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI-generated illustration of a downtown Redlands streetscape

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 494

The City of Redlands is accepting applications for a volunteer position on its Traffic and Parking Commission. November 5 Deadline Approaching.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - Illustrative image, not an actual enforcement operation.

By William Cortez, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:39pm. Views: 489

New state-funded traffic safety program will target impaired driving, speeding, distracted motorists and dangerous behavior near pedestrians and bicyclists. A $94,300 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety will support DUI checkpoints, distracted driving enforcement, pedestrian safety initiatives and officer training through September 2027.

--> -->