In reply to Lee Grant:
This subject has been proposed many times on many different forums. Its all in good faith but probably wouldn't be viable from the MRC and Police point of view.
To see the pitfalls of this idea you should visit your local MRT and find out how the rescue system really works, the training, the insurance and legal side of things, then you will be better informed and will come to the same conclusion... that another team made up of volunteer weekend hill patrols, who's skill and ability level can not be vouched for, who's insurance is not appropriate or could not be provided, the list goes on.
Its far easier for people to act as a good samaritan if they ever come accross a situation in which they can help, whether that is providing a warm drink and clothing and shelter for an injured walker whilst waiting for the MR or whether that is providing more information about the area you are in.
Most MRT members do actually enjoy walking, climbing and mountaineering and they are often out walking and climbing on weekends and in the week, nearly all will have a personal comms radio with them as well as a mobile phone for recieving emergency SMS callouts etc
Many team members have been out walking etc and have recieved a call to a rescue close to their location. And armed with the training and experience that they have they can deal effectively with the rescue process.
Do some research and you will see how many members some of the busier MRT have, they are not small teams, Ogwen and Llanberis probably have at least 100 team members between them that are classed as active and on call 24hrs. Then there is also SARDA who are regulary out walking their dogs in the mountains.
Many team members will be qualified intermediate casualty care medics ( means they can diagnose medical and clinical problems and administer IM Drugs) and around 15% will be advanced case care ( means they can administer IV drugs and perform other more skilled invasive techniques).
And these people may be out walking for their own pleasure over the weekends, so as you see, there is allready a highly trained team of volunteers that are in place, they are called Mountain Rescue Teams.
All rescue service members do what they do because they are passionate about the environment in which they enjoy their time in, whether thats, the sea, the lowland hills and moors or rugged mountains, they also hold dear the sancticy of life and its preservation.
A lot of people have a missconception that MRT members do it just for the glory and perceived qudos.
There is no glory or qudos of searching for a fallen walker or climber in bad weather on shitty steep ground in the middle of the night and then having to stretcher the body off the hill. There is no glory or qudos in recovering bodies of children from rivers.There is no glory or qudos of finding people avalanched or frozen 1/2 hour from Cairngorm carpark.
Those examples are just a few of the fatalities that most of you would have seen or heard on the TV or Radio or on the internet forums.
Perhaps some people will think again about rescue team members, Yes there are those who join rescue teams so that they can put it down on their C.V and 'be the man', they don't last long in a team, just long enough to have a few small tales of their grandeur to tell anyone who will listen.
If people really want to help they should either donate a small giftaid contribution to their local team or to the MRC.
Or if they are really passionate about it and can spare considerable time they should apply to become a trainee of their local rescue team.
Thanks
Mark Handford Oggy Team