The Volunteer Trail Safety Patrol serves the East Bay Regional Park District in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. It comprises five patrol groups: the Volunteer Mounted Patrol, the Volunteer Bicycle Patrol, the Volunteer Hiking Patrol, the Companion Dog Patrol, and the Volunteer Marine Safety Unit. Members of those groups may also participate in the District‘s Search and Rescue (SAR) unit.

The Volunteer Trail Safety Patrol serves the East Bay Regional Park District, located in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties on the east side of San Francisco Bay in California. The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest local (below the state level) park and open space system in the United States, containing about 65 park properties covering over 114,000 acres. The District includes over 1,200 miles of trails within its parks and many additional miles of regional trails that connect parks and communities. These trails include multiple-use (bicycle / equestrian / pedestrian) trails and trails designed for use by visitors with limited mobility. [ See a list of District parklands and regional trails. You may read more about each of our patrol groups here. 

The Position

Members belong to patrol groups according to their means of travel and their animal companions, but all have the same responsibilities, and members of several patrol groups often work side by side. While on duty, each Volunteer Trail Safety Patrol member wears designated identifying clothing and carries a District volunteer photo ID card. Many also carry District two-way radios.

Responsibilities of the Volunteer Trail Safety Patrol include:

• assisting District professionals in preserving the safety of park visitors and regional trail users
• educating park visitors or regional trail users about
  • District resources, facilities, and programs
  • safe and courteous use of District trails and other resources
  • District rules and regulations
  • the risk of vehicle burglary while your vehicle is parked at a District parking facility
• observing and reporting
  • damage to park resources or facilities
  • potentially unsafe conditions
  • incidents involving park visitors or regional trail users
  • violations of District rules and regulations
• fostering positive relationships among various park and trail user groups
• reporting police, fire, or medical emergencies and supporting professional response units
• assisting District professionals in preserving the safety of the District‘s plant, animal, geological, historical, and archaeological resources
• participating in search and rescue operations
• assisting with special District public events, including traffic control, parking, and education

Any member of the Volunteer Trail Safety Patrol may also participate in the District‘s Search and Rescue (SAR) unit, whose responsibilities include searching for missing persons, assisting in the rescue of injured persons, and preserving the integrity of accident or crime evidence.

Each patrol group has its own volunteer leadership but operates, through a Volunteer Coordinator, under the auspices of the Operations Division of the District‘s Police Department. The Operations Division also includes police volunteer liaison officers under the Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) and the department’s Helicopter Unit. The Volunteer Trail Safety Patrol also works closely with the District‘s Fire Department, which like the Police Department is within the District‘s Public Safety Department.

Volunteer Trail Safety Patrol members, frequent and enthusiastic visitors to our regional parklands, are dedicated to preserving the safety of the public and of the East Bay Regional Park District’s natural and historical resources. Volunteer Trail Safety Patrol members also educate visitors about East Bay Regional Park District resources, programs, facilities, and rules; observe and report safety issues, incidents, and emergencies; foster positive relationships among user groups; and assist at some public events in the East Bay Regional Park District.

Read more about the Volunteer Trail Safety Patrol and learn more about your trails and parklands in the East Bay Regional Park District.