Mutual Aid Bureau

The Mutual Aid Bureau is responsible for providing law enforcement mutual aid to Orange County law enforcement agencies in the event an emergency occurs and the reporting jurisdiction determines that it is beyond their control.  

California has had more than its share of man-made and natural disasters, civil disturbances and other significant events requiring large numbers of law enforcement personnel and equipment. Our ability to provide an effective and organized response to a wide range of emergencies can save lives and protect property. 

Mutual Aid Resources

Sheriff’s Response Team (SRT)

Consists of a core group of trained Sheriff's personnel who can be mobilized quickly and are able to respond to a variety of emergencies and disasters in support of primary civil authorities. SRT works closely with the Special Enforcement Bureau and the Air Support Bureau to coordinate resources that may be needed during any request for a SRT response.

Mobile Field Force (MFF)

Mobile Field Force is a statewide concept that involves on-going cooperative effort among law enforcement agencies designed to provide an effective and organized response to a wide range of emergencies. Its comprehensive structure facilitates mobilization of law enforcement resources into a cogent response organization for addressing critical incidents including floods, fire, earthquakes and civil disorder.

Mounted Enforcement Unit (MEU)

The Mounted Enforcement Unit works a variety of assignments that include patrols of rural and urban trails, parks, beaches and city streets as well as assist in search and rescue operations. They also play a vital role in crowd control during peaceful protests and incidents involving civil unrest. Representatives of the unit can also be seen at community events such as National Night Out, and Red Ribbon week events. The Mounted Color Guard honors our nation’s flag at special events and parades throughout the year. The Mounted Honor Guard also participates each year in the Orange County Peace Officer’s Memorial Ceremony.

The Orange County Regional Mounted Enforcement Unit (OCRMEU) is a cooperative effort between the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Anaheim PD, Buena Park PD, Huntington Beach PD, Irvine PD, Newport Beach PD, Orange PD and Santa Ana PD. The Mounted Enforcement Unit stands ready to meet the growing demand for high profile law enforcement and effective crowd control management.

Search and Rescue

The Search & Rescue Reserve Unit is comprised of sworn (Level I, II & III) deputies and non-sworn civilian Professional Services Responder (PSRs) members. The unit is responsible for managing urban and wilderness searches for missing persons, and supporting the safe detection and apprehension of fleeing suspects. The unit has formal agreements for mutual aid with the California Emergency Management Agency, the US Forest Service's Cleveland National Forest, and many other local agencies. Assignments within the unit are based upon the level of training the unit member has completed.　 Members are on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

K-9 Operations

Within the Mutual Aid Bureau all of our K-9 operators are trained volunteers. The team consists of Bloodhounds, Human Remain Detection K-9s and Crisis Comfort K-9s. The squad is the most active of all the unit members, due to the high volume of calls for assistance from the department and also assisting other agencies.

Aero Squadron

The Aero Squadron assists the Orange County Sheriff's Department by providing air support to Orange County law enforcement and other agencies which may require aviation resources to complete their tasks; to ensure the highest level of pilot competency through continual training and a discreet selection process; and to enhance the safety and security of the community by providing an additional cadre of professionally trained personnel to augment the regular forces and furnish unique disaster response capabilities.

Harbor Patrol

The Harbor Reserve Unit works side-by-side with fulltime deputies in Dana Point, Newport and Huntington Harbors. These exciting positions provide qualified volunteers the opportunity to participate in general and waterway law enforcement for suppression and rescue activities. Harbor Reserve Deputies receive many hours of formal instruction, followed by ongoing practical training in all phases of Harbor operations, including U.S. Coast Guard requirements.

Join Our Team

If interested in becoming a part of one of the most exciting and innovative law enforcement reserve forces in the nation, or to find out more information, you can contact us at mutualaidreserves@ocsheriff.gov  or by calling (714) 566-2711.