Mountain Rescue in the UK

Mountain Rescue in the whole of the United Kingdom is free of charge both to the person rescued and to any organisation to which they may belong. The coordination of search and rescue in the UK is undertaken by the Police under common law, with the oath of a constable, to protect life and property. Incidents on sea cliffs are undertaken by HM Coastguard although in some areas joint arrangements are in place.

Over the years a network of voluntary mountain rescue teams has been established on a local basis where the need existed. To these teams many people owe their lives. In many areas other organisations have joined with the teams to form an integrated response to mountain emergencies and come from National Park Rangers, RAF Mountain Rescue Teams, RAF or Royal Navy search and rescue helicopters. All the above bodies work together both in the field and in the planning and organisation of rescue and none make any charge.

'The Woodhead Team'	'Retrieving a Accident Victim'

The voluntary rescue teams in England and Wales are all autonomous bodies composed of unpaid volunteers who are called out when their services are required. Owing to the variety of terrain each team sets it own recruitment standards and most will require the prospective member to be a competent, all weather mountaineer who is then required to undertake suitable training in search, stretcher handling on vertical faces and in snow and ice conditions, radio work, and First Aid, all of which training has to meet the National Training Guidelines.

During the last few years there has been a considerable increase in the number of requests by the police to mountain rescue teams for search and rescue in non mountain and open country environments. These requests have included searching for children, mentally ill, elderly, confused, or potentially suicidal people missing from their home (or an institution), and searching snow bound roads for
stranded motorists. The teams maintaining their ethos of serving the community and saving lives in wild and remote places have willingly responded to these incidents as well as the incidents in the mountains, fells and moorland. The local teams are members of regional organisations as shown in the links page and in the handbook. These regional organisations are usually responsible for coordinating operations involving two or more teams, together with liaison with the police forces serving their area, the RAF mountain rescue teams and the RAF and RN helicopter units. They also frequently organise a considerable amount of training on a regional basis.

The Mountain Rescue Council of England and Wales is the national co-ordinating body, of which the regional bodies are members together with the British Cave Rescue Council and the Search and Rescue Dog Associations. The membership of the Council extends to cover the Association of Chief Police Officers, HM Coastguard, RAF Search and Rescue, Ofcom, the Fire Service Inspectorate, The Sports Council and the Association of Chief Ambulance Officers. It is again a voluntary body and a registered charity. Its main function is to liase on behalf of the teams with the various government departments in the running of mountain and cave rescue and to arrange such items as the provision of communications, stretchers and first aid equipment, and the provision of accident insurance for team members when they are training or operational.

The MRC maintains public liability insurance for team members and publishes The Mountain Rescue Handbook which is updated regularly. The handbook contains detailed information on the entire mountain rescue and sea cliff operation in Great Britain, as we work closely with our associated organisations in Scotland, Ireland, HM Coastguard and the Irish Department of the Marine. The handbook also contains information on mountain safety, the work of the rescue teams, radio communications, team registered call signs, mountain first aid, helicopter operations, and the rescue and accident statistics. .

New members always welcome. If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a team member, please click here - Join the Woodhead Team