Mountain rescue in England and Wales

Mountain rescue in England and Wales


Mountain rescue services in England and Wales operate under the umbrella association of the MREW - Mountain Rescue (England & Wales) (formerly called Mountain Rescue Council of England & Wales). Each team is an independent charity whose membership consists of highly trained volunteers who are called out by the police.[1]

MREW is a member of the International Commission for Mountain Rescue (Internationale Kommisia fur Alpines Rettingwesen, (IKAR-CISA)).[2]

Contents

Overview

The Battenburg markings used by mountain rescue

Voluntary mountain rescue teams in England and Wales are independent charities whose membership consists of highly trained volunteers who are called out by the police (who are responsible for land based search and rescue but generally lack the resources to undertake the function). Individual teams are normally known as an MRT (Mountain Rescue Team) but some use the term SRT (Search & Rescue Team) or MS&RT (Mountain Search & Rescue Team).

Individual teams are members both of the MR (E&W) and their regional association (which is also represented at MR (E&W)). Neither MR (E&W) or the regional associations have authority over the individual teams but provide an opportunity to discuss and agree standards, training and equipment. MR (E&W) does provide some equipment funding for MRTs both from its own funds and a small government grant, but teams have to finance their own running costs through charity fund raising or sponsorship. MRTs in England and Wales receive no direct government funding. The government also provides access by teams to Ordnance Survey mapping.

The Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service has four teams—two in Scotland, one in England and one in Wales—and as part of the military is wholly government funded. They have primary responsibility for aircraft crashes on high ground, but also respond to civilian calls for assistance with hikers and climbers.

Although the primary focus of mountain rescue is to locate and evacuate injured and/or lost persons in upland environments, teams also undertake a wide range of roles (which may differ from team to team):

  • missing person searches in lowland areas where access or terrain is difficult
  • support to NHS ambulance services for difficult casualty evacuation
  • support to government agencies/emergency services in flood and heavy snowfall
  • support to government agencies/emergency services at major incidents
  • swift water rescue
  • animal rescue

Urban search and rescue is currently undertaken by the fire and rescue services as part of their statutory enablement, but at least one mountain rescue team has chosen to train in this field.

Each team has its own primary area of responsibility but frequently deploy outside these areas in support of other teams.

Cave rescue had its own umbrella organisation, the British Cave Rescue Council,[3] but some teams operate as both cave rescue teams and mountain rescue teams.

There is also an association for Search & Rescue dogs at the national and regional level called the National Search & Rescue Dog Association (SARDA).[4] SARDA handlers must be full team members of a mountain rescue team and, once graded, will operate alongside that team, but can be deployed in support of other teams.

Organisation

See list of regional organisations.

The co-ordinating body for Mountain & Mine Search and Rescue Teams in the Lake District is the Lake District Search & Mountain Rescue Association

The co-ordinating body for South Wales is covered by the South Wales Search and Rescue Association

The co-ordinating body for North Wales is the North Wales Mountain Rescue Association

The co-ordinating body for Search & Rescue in caves, moors and hills in West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and the Pennines is the Mid Pennine Search & Rescue Organisation

The co-ordinating body for North East is the North East Search & Rescue Association

The co-ordinating body for the Peak District is the Peak District Mountain Rescue Organisation which was formed in 1964.

The West Country of England is covered by the South West England Rescue Association

The Yorkshire Dales are covered by the Yorkshire Dales Rescue Panel

  • Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO)
  • Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA)

See also

Mountain rescue

Notes

  1. ^ "Mountain Rescue England & Wales". mountain.rescue.org. Mountain Rescue England & Wales. http://www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/. Retrieved 24 January 2010. 
  2. ^ "ICAR-CISA". ikar-cisa.org. ICAR-CISA. http://www.ikar-cisa.org. Retrieved 24 January 2010. 
  3. ^ "British Cave Rescue Council". caverescue.org.uk. British Cave Rescue Council. http://www.caverescue.org.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2010. 
  4. ^ "National Search & Rescue Dog Association". nsarda.org.uk. SARDA. http://www.nsarda.org.uk/. Retrieved 24 January 2010. 

External links


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