Mountain rescue in England and Wales

Mountain rescue services in England and Wales operate under the association of the MREW - Mountain Rescue (England & Wales), formerly called Mountain Rescue Council of England & Wales. The association has a number of regional teams, each of which is an independent charity. The team members are highly trained volunteers who are called out by the police.

MREW is a member of the International Commission for Mountain Rescue (Internationale Kommission für Alpines Rettungswesen, (IKAR-CISA)).

Voluntary mountain rescue teams in Scotland and Wales are independent charities whose members are highly trained volunteers who are called out by the police. The police are legally responsible for land based search and rescue but generally lack the resources to discharge this function effectively. 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 MREW and of their regional association (which is also represented at MREW). Neither MREW nor the regional associations have authority over the individual teams but provide an opportunity to discuss and agree standards, training and equipment. MREW does provide some equipment funding for MRTs both from its own funds and via 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 three teams— one 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 from 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:

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