West Valley Search and Rescue

06/07/2026

SAR Training! Yesterday your West Valley SAR Team Members were busy training on Technical Rope Skills, utilizing marginal anchors incorporated in to a Technical Rope System. This type of system is utilized to gain access to a subject and/or victim who may have become stuck or injured in the wilderness environment. WVSAR Members have organized training drills and classes approximately 18-36 hours per month on a variety of disciplines that may face when called upon. (nd)

06/01/2026

A big congrats to our 2026 trainees, Brian, Cristian, Raul, and Anthony, for passing the Basic Search and Rescue (BSAR) this weekend! Great work, guys!

05/21/2026

CMC is issuing a Product Safety & Inspection for the CAPTO™.

Through our internal inspection processes, CMC has found certain instances where the thread locker that secures the CAPTO cam set screw may not have fully cured. This potentially affects CAPTO 11 MM Gray (Part # 336011) and CAPTO 13 MM Red (Part # 336013) models from serial number 23191-001 through 26085-034. If the set screw becomes fully unthreaded, the cam spring may fall out, causing the cam to not function as intended. There have been no reports of any set screws coming loose in the field, but out of an abundance of caution we request that customers inspect for the presence and position of the set screw to ensure that it is installed properly. We have corrected this issue for current and future CAPTO production.

The same thread locker is also used as a secondary method to secure the pulley fl**ge. While we do not expect any issues, CMC still advises that customers also inspect the pulley fl**ge while inspecting the set screw position.

If you have a CAPTO, please immediately inspect your device using the inspection steps included in the Inspection & Safety Notice.

To view the notice and inspection video see link below.

https://hubs.la/Q04hqQdX0

https://hubs.la/Q04hq-FS0

05/18/2026

Your WVSAR Team had a great PSAR Event on Saturday at the Falls Gate in the Mt. Baldy Area. We made contact with hikers before starting their adventure!

04/13/2026

🚨 Member Highlight: David Scheff 🚨

Meet David, one of our dedicated Search and Rescue team members, bringing both professional expertise and a passion for helping others into every mission.

🧭 Background:
At 47, David has built an impressive career in operations and engineering — currently serving as VP of Operations Excellence & Design Engineering at Target (7 years), previously with Crane Aerospace (5 years), and spending 20 years at Eaton Aerospace as a Mechanical Systems Design Engineer.

⛰️ SAR Experience:
With 4 years in Search and Rescue, David has quickly become a valuable and dependable member of the team.

💡 Why SAR?
“I wanted to be able to apply my outdoor skill set to helping others.”

🎯 Team Roles & Specialties:
Rope Rescue Technician and Trainer
💼 Team Leadership: Board Treasurer - The $$ Guy!

🏆 Recognition:
Recipient of the Tim Staples Award (2025) for extraordinary contributions to the team.

🌄 Outside of SAR:
When not on missions, you’ll likely find David embracing family life — proudly serving as an “Uber driver” to his kids — or out canyoneering.

😄 Fun Fact:
David has moved 16 times in 25 years of marriage and has lived in 6 different states!

🚁 Favorite SAR Memory:
“One of my most memorable missions was locating and rescuing a couple who also happened to work at Target. I worked closely with their leadership, so it was a bit awkward at first—but I promised to never share their story… or at least not their names.”

👏 Thank you, David, for your leadership, service, and continued impact on the team. We’re proud to have you with us!

04/11/2026

From USFS:

Mt Baldy Trail Closure
Due to inclement weather, snow, and ice, Mt. Baldy area trails are temporarily closed to the public. The closure is effective April 10, 2026, at 8 pm, through April 20th, 2026.

Angeles National Forest | Alerts | Forest Service

Due to inclement weather, snow, and ice, Mt. Baldy area trails are temporarily closed to the public. The closure is effective April 10, 2026, at 8 pm, through April 20th, 2026. See map and details of the closure below.

04/09/2026