This evening saw the second of a four part each evening feature on BBC North West Tonight covering ‘mountain rescue in the North West.’

Starting at 18.30hrs each evening, last night – Monday 24th August, featured Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team, and also made mention of the regional Cumbrian Mountain Rescue organisation, namely LDSAMRA – Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association, which serves as the umbrella organisation for MRTs and an Ore and Mines Rescue Team in the Lake District (COMRU – Cumbria Ore and Mines Rescue Team)

Tonight featured the work of Buxton Mountain Rescue Team, operating in the Peak District as part of the PDMRO – Peak District Mountain Rescue Organisation, with Buxton MRTs brand new Control Vehicle getting some good coverage.

Both reports so far have mentioned the totally voluntary nature of civilian mountain rescue in England (and Wales and Scotland for that matter) and how all MRTs rely on public donations, charitable grants and bequests to fund our running cots and capital expenditures.

Tomorrow evening features we understand the work of SARDA – Search and Rescue Dog Association and Oldham MRT.

Sadly for our more photogenic Bolton MRT team members – all of us! we are not being featured within these four evening programmes, however all our work is of a common nature, as is our state of the art search and rescue equipment and team vehicles, alongside the commitment and dedication of our highly trained totally voluntary memberships.

Within the BBC North West Tonight television region there are a large number of MRTs, an Ore and Mines Rescue Team and a Cave Rescue Team (CRO – Cave Rescue Organisation) all operating on the north west’s mountains, moorlands, rural areas and elsewhere, including more urban areas where our skills and training can be used to aid those in need in our communities.

Mention should also be made of our colleagues from our sister organisation – ALSAR Association of Lowland Search and Rescue, which has two teams operating in the north west; Cheshire Search and Rescue Team and Merseyside Lowland Search and Rescue Team, and the independent SAR team, Bay Search and Rescue Team who operate in Morecambe Bay and wider area providing SAR and specialist all terrain vehicle support.

Like the MRTs, COMRU and CRO, Cheshire SART / Merseyside LSART and BAYSART are also totally voluntary and funded the same way as we are.

Together we all provide a huge voluntary emergency search and rescue resource to the statutory emergency services of the Fire / Police and Ambulance, all with the common aim of helping our local communities.