I spent this past Saturday at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department training facility and gun range for my trimester qualification classes. I am frequently asked how I got involved with the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. In 2003, a Department Lieutenant came in to see me for a facelift and we got talking about life, jobs, motorcycles and airplanes. He asked if I would consider joining the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department Aero Squadron as a citizen volunteer. I took the PC 836 law enforcement class and enjoyed a decade of service with the Department as a civilian volunteer pilot in the Aero Squadron. I participated in training exercises (search and rescue), patrolling places like the Dumont Dunes from the air, transporting ballots to San Bernardino from far flung parts of the county on election night and participated in VIP flights. In 2008, I exchanged my propeller aircraft for my jet and found that my services to the department were no longer useful. I considered options and elected to join another unit, which consisted of sworn deputies. In order to qualify, I attend the Sheriff’s Department Academy (every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-10 pm and every second Saturday for about a year!) and, in 2013, was sworn in as a Level III Deputy with the Sheriff’s Specialized Services Bureau – and I am still a member of that unit.
By personal example, my parents instilled in me the ideal of service to the community. Volunteering for one’s community is a deeply meaningful act of service that embodies the spirit of giving back and making a positive difference. When individuals volunteer their time and skills, they become integral parts of the community’s fabric, contributing to its well-being and safety. Volunteering for community organizations like the sheriff’s department not only benefits the community at large but also fosters personal growth, leadership development, and a sense of fulfillment derived from making a tangible impact. It is through the collective efforts of volunteers that communities thrive and become safer, more resilient, and more tightly knit.
