LA CRESCENTA, MONTROSE

Young at heart and daring

Sheriff's department expected to reverse ban on rescue personnel over 60 on active duty.

By Gretchen Hoffman

February 20 2002

LA CRESCENTA -- Three members of the Montrose Search and Rescue Team are looking forward to getting back into action.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is expected to announce that rescue personnel over 60 will no longer be restricted to less active roles, team Capt. Mike Leum said.

For members like La Crescenta resident Fred Koegler, who has been patrolling the Angeles National Forest for 37 years, a blanket age restriction doesn't make sense. "Out of 25 people, we don't have that many young people right now, Koegler said. "Most search-and-rescue guys are in pretty good shape because that's what we do. You know your limits. You know when really not to overdo it."

Koegler, who turned 60 last July, was instrumental in the push for overturning the age limit, Leum said. He started lobbying Baca at a reelection committee get-together more than 1 1/2 years ago, Koegler said.

Under the current restrictions, team members over 60 can assist in a rescue from the highway, such as working the truck winch or answering the radio. But they are barred from the team's regular patrols.

Despite the restrictions on what he's allowed to do, Koegler is still very much an active member of the team. He's gone to three rescues in the past couple of weeks, including one instance in which he had to go over the edge since only a few rescue personnel responded, he said.

But he hasn't gone on regular patrol since he turned 60. He used to average 10 patrols per year.

Members of the team have been notified that the members over 60 will soon be able to return to active duty, but no official decision has been announced, said Sgt. Randy Sulstrom, who oversees the reserve program at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station.

"It's coming down, it just hasn't been formalized yet," he said. Neither Sulstrom nor Leum knew when the change would be finalized.

The captain of each station will be able to decide on an individual basis whether a person is able to participate in the more strenuous responsibilities, and there will be an annual review, Sulstrom said.

In the short term, Koegler and the other members older than 60 will bide their time, continuing to contribute in whatever way they can.

"We all want to carry our share of the load," Koegler said.