Full Notification

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Services Section is comprised of approximately 500 men and women. These dedicated volunteers consist of the Kern County Sheriff’s Reserve Unit, Search and Rescue Unit, Citizen Service Unit, Chaplain Program and the Explorer Post #519. The volunteers of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office are truly an asset to the Department, as well as the communities in which they serve. In 2013 the volunteers collectively donated 94,782 hours to the community.

Take a minute to read a brief description for each of our volunteer units. Our Volunteer Services Section is currently recruiting volunteers for search and rescue, Citizen Service Unit and the Explorer Post #519. If you are interested or know someone who would make a great volunteer, please call 661-391-7475 for details.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain Corps primary objectives are to support law enforcement and their families in professional and personal crisis and serve the communities of Kern County in times of crisis and tragedy. In 2013 the Chaplains provided 1392 hours of service.

The Citizen Service Unit is a group of men and women who are dedicated to assisting the Kern County Sheriff’s Office in fulfilling its mission of protecting the residents and visitors of our county. One of CSU’s most popular events is the “Child ID” program. CSU members attend community events and provide parents with an identification card that contains a photograph of their child as well as their identifying information. Approximately 2000 children in Kern County were provided this service in 2013. Currently, there are approximately 200 members of CSU and in 2013 they donated 30,798 hours to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Explorer Post #519 is an organization designed to provide young men and women between the ages of 15-21 years old, with an insight into the world of law enforcement. Explorers participate in several voluntary office functions and programs such as; patrol, detentions, communications and technical investigations. In 2014, several explorers were sent to Federal Way Washington to represent the Kern County Sheriff’s Office in an annual Explorer competition. Kern County Sheriff’s Explorer’s received several awards for their performance during the competition. In 2013, Explorer’s donated 5,077 hours.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Reserves are a very special group of men and women who are dedicated to public service and committed to improving the quality of life in our community. The Reserve Organization is very involved in community events. They are one of the largest donors of the annual Christmas Basket Program, they host the annual PRCA Stampede Days Rodeo, donate funds to sponsor students to participate in the National Jr. Rodeo competitions and much, much more. There are currently approximately 70 members and in 2013 they donated 13,943 hours to the County of Kern.

The men and women of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue unit respond to calls throughout the County to search for lost hunters, missing persons, downed aircrafts, and perform rescue and recovery operations in the rivers and streams of Kern County. They volunteer their time to provide life-saving services. Their most recent lifesaving rescue was in February of this year. Billy Lewis was 63 year old, reported missing person. After being missing for several days, Search and Rescue members located Lewis in the desert area outside of Maricopa. Lewis was dehydrated and in need of medical assistance. If not for the work of the Search and Rescue team, Lewis would have surely perished. In 2013 the members of Search and Rescue donated 43,572 hours to the citizens and visitors of Kern County.