Independent Voluntary SAR & Resilience Organizations

These are stand-alone charities or NGOs not under a larger SAR umbrella, often providing specialist disaster response or community emergency support:

• Emergency Response Team Search and Rescue (ERTSAR) – ert-sar.com – An INSARAG-listed international disaster response NGO (founded 2002) that provides search & rescue teams for emergencies in the UK and abroaden.wikipedia.org. UK-based with volunteer responders, including flood rescue and technical rescue capabilities.
  
  

• Civil Aid Voluntary Rescue Association (CAVRA) – cavra.org.uk – A voluntary civil defence & search-and-rescue charity operating across England and Walesen.wikipedia.org. CAVRA supplies trained backup personnel to emergency services during adverse weather, natural disasters or civil emergencies. (Formerly Cardiff & Vale Rescue Association; relaunched in 2024 expanding beyond Wales.)
  
  

• International Rescue Corps (IRC) – intrescue.info – A UK-based charity providing global urban search & rescue response. Staffed entirely by volunteers, IRC deploys to disasters (earthquakes, etc.) worldwide. (Listed as an international USAR team in the UK SAR directoryuksar.com.)
  
  

• SARAID (Search And Rescue Assistance In Disasters) – saraid.org – A UK voluntary disaster response team recognized by the UN INSARAG (classified as a “Light USAR” team)saraid.org. Composed of volunteer engineers, medics and rescue techs, SARAID deploys to international disaster zones and major domestic incidents.
  
  

• RE:ACT Disaster Response (formerly Team Rubicon UK) – re-act.org.uk – A humanitarian crisis response charity mobilizing volunteers (especially military veterans) for disaster relief. Founded in 2015 as Team Rubicon UK, it rebranded to RE:ACTre-act.org.uk. Focuses on both UK emergency support (e.g. pandemic, floods) and international disaster aid.
  
  

• MapAction – mapaction.org – A volunteer-led charity that provides mapping and information management for humanitarian emergencies. (Deploys GIS experts to disaster scenes to assist coordination.)
  
  

• RAYNET-UK (Radio Amateurs’ Emergency Network) – raynet-uk.net – A national voluntary communications service by licensed amateur radio operatorsen.wikipedia.org. Established in 1953, RAYNET members provide emergency radio communications to supplement police/fire/ambulance networks during major incidents or communication outages.
  
  

• Sky Watch Civil Air Patrol / Civil Air Support – civilairsupport.org.uk – A volunteer aerial observation organisation (formerly “Sky Watch UK Civil Air Patrol”). Private pilots and observers provide extra “eyes in the sky” for search missions and emergencies, working closely with police and rescue agenciesairmedandrescue.com.
  
  

• 4x4 Response UK – 4x4response.info – An umbrella organisation for regional 4x4 Response teams of volunteer off-road driversuksar.com. These teams use 4x4 vehicles to assist emergency services—e.g. transporting staff or supplies through floods, snow, and difficult terrain. (Dozens of county-based groups exist, such as North East 4x4 Response, Wessex 4x4 Response, etc.)
  
  

• Mountain Rescue Bikes – (Specialist team) – A volunteer group promoting the use of mountain bikes in search & rescueuksar.com. They deploy cyclists for rapid search of trails and remote areas (often integrated with larger SAR teams).
  
  

• Surf Life Saving Great Britain (SLSGB) – slsgb.org.uk – A charity comprising volunteer surf lifesaving clubs across the UK. Members provide beach patrols, surf rescue, and lifeguard training (complementing RNLI lifeguards)uksar.com.
  
  

• Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) – rlss.org.uk – A drowning-prevention charity that also supports water rescue educationuksar.com. Trains lifeguards and first responders in flood rescue and water safety.
  
  

• Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT UK) – Various local groups – Some communities and universities form CERT or “Emergency Response” teams of volunteers trained in basic disaster response, first aid, and community resilience. For example, the University of Sussex’s Medical Emergency Response Team is a volunteer staff group handling on-campus first aid emergenciessussex.ac.uk, and a Student Emergency Response Team (SERT) network exists in some universities to engage students in resilience and first responder training.
  
  

(Note: Many other independent charities support UK emergency response, such as the Salvation Army’s Emergency Response (canteen trucks at incidents), St John Ambulance, British Red Cross, etc., which are listed under Medical & Welfare Support below.)

Mountain Rescue Organisations (Highlands, Uplands & Remote Areas)

Mountain Rescue in the UK is handled by volunteer teams coordinated under several national bodies. All mountain rescue team members are highly trained volunteers on call 24/7, usually activated by the police for missing person searches or injured hikers/climbersen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org. Each team is an independent charity, but they operate under regional umbrellas for standards and support. Below are the umbrella organisations and their respective teams:

Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW) – Umbrella Organization

Mountain Rescue England & Wales – mountain.rescue.org.uk – The national association representing 49 volunteer mountain rescue teams across England and Walesen.wikipedia.org. MREW is organized into regional bodies (Lake District, Pennines, Peak District, North East, Wales, etc.)mountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com. Each team is a local charity covering a specific area (often rugged hills or mountains) and is typically referred to as “MRT” (Mountain Rescue Team)en.wikipedia.org. Member teams of MREW include:

• Lake District Search & Mountain Rescue Association (Cumbria – 12 teams)mountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com: e.g. Cockermouth MRT, Coniston MRT, Duddon and Furness MRT, Kendal MRT, Keswick MRT, Kirkby Stephen MRT, Langdale Ambleside MRT, Patterdale MRT, Penrith MRT, Wasdale MRT, plus the Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit (COMRU) and Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs. (All operate in the Lake District National Park area.)
  
  

• Mid-Pennine Search & Rescue Organisation (N. England – 5 teams)en.wikipedia.orgmountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com: Bolton MRT, Bowland Pennine MRT, Calder Valley SRT, Holme Valley MRT, Rossendale & Pendle MRT, plus affiliated Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO) in Yorkshire Dales and SARDA England (search dogs)en.wikipedia.org.
  
  

• North East Search & Rescue Association (Northumberland/Cleveland – 6 teams)en.wikipedia.orgmountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com: Cleveland MRT, North of Tyne MRT, Northumberland National Park MRT, Swaledale MRT, Teesdale & Weardale Search & Rescue Team (Fell Rescue), plus SARDA England dog teamsen.wikipedia.org.
  
  

• Peak District Mountain Rescue Organisation (Peak District – 8 teams)en.wikipedia.org: Buxton MRT, Derby MRT, Edale MRT, Glossop MRT, Kinder MRT, Oldham MRT, Woodhead MRT, plus Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation (DCRO)en.wikipedia.org and SARDA England dogs.
  
  

• Peninsula Mountain & Cave Rescue Association (Devon/Cornwall) – Part of the South West region (7 teams)en.wikipedia.org: Dartmoor Search & Rescue Team Ashburton, DSRT Plymouth, DSRT Tavistock, North Dartmoor SRT (Okehampton), East Cornwall SRT, West Cornwall SRT, Devon Cave Rescue.
  
  

• South West England Rescue Association (Somerset/Glos.) – Another SW region panel (4 teams)en.wikipedia.org: e.g. Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue, Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) – inland teams in Severn area, Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group, Mendip Cave Rescue. (These handle mixed terrain including caves/rivers in SW England.)
  
  

• Yorkshire Dales Rescue Panel (Yorkshire Dales – 3 teams)en.wikipedia.orgmountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com: Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO) in Wharfedale, Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Assoc. (UWFRA), and Scarborough & Ryedale MRT. (These cover the caving areas and moors of the Dales.)
  
  

• North Wales Mountain Rescue Association (North Wales – 8 teams)en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org: Aberglaslyn MRT, Aberdyfi Search & Rescue Team, Llanberis MRT, North East Wales Search & Rescue (NEWSAR), Ogwen Valley MRO, South Snowdonia SRT, RAF Valley MRT (see RAF section), plus North Wales Cave Rescue Organisation (NWCRO) and SARDA Wales (search dogs)en.wikipedia.org.
  
  

• South Wales Search & Rescue Association (South Wales – 5 teams)en.wikipedia.orgmountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com: Brecon MRT, Central Beacons MRT, Longtown MRT, Western Beacons MSRT, plus South & Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team (SMWCRT) and SARDA South Wales (search dogs)en.wikipedia.org.
  
  

(Associate members of MREW include Lowland Rescue teams and others, but the above are the mountain teams.) Each team has its own website (usually “TeamName MRT” domains). For example, keswickmrt.org.uk for Keswick MRT, ogwen-rescue.org.uk for Ogwen, etc.

Scottish Mountain Rescue (SMR) – Umbrella Organization

Scottish Mountain Rescue – scottishmountainrescue.org – The representative body for most of Scotland’s mountain rescue teamsmountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com. Scotland has 25 volunteer teams (20 civilian MRTs, 1 volunteer cave rescue team, and 2 regional SARDA dog units), plus 3 Police MRTs and 1 RAF MRT, totaling 28 teams covering all of Scotland’s mountain and remote areasmountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com. (Unlike MREW, SMR teams do not use a regional grouping structure – all coordinate directly under SMR.) Major teams in Scotland include:

• Northern Scotland Teams: Aberdeen MRT, Assynt MRT, Braemar MRT, Dundonnell MRT, Orkney MRT (small unit), Shetland MRT.
  
  

• Western Highlands: Glencoe MRT, Lochaber MRT (Fort William area), Skye MRT, Kintail MRT, Torridon MRT, Oban MRT.
  
  

• Southern/Central Highlands: Arran MRT, Arrochar (Lomond) MRT, Killin MRT, Tayside MRT, Ochils MRT, Moffat MRT, Galloway MRT, Borders Search & Rescue Unit (BSARU) in the Scottish Borders, Tweeddale MRT (sometimes grouped with Borders team).
  
  

• Police Scotland MRTs: Three police-run mountain rescue teams exist (historically Grampian Police MRT, Strathclyde Police MRT, and Tayside Police MRT) which respond particularly to searches in their regionsofcom.org.ukofcom.org.uk. These are now under Police Scotland but still provide mountain rescue response alongside the volunteer teams.
  
  

• Scottish Cave Rescue: Scotland has a volunteer cave rescue team (coordinated under SMR/BCRC) known as the Scottish Cave Rescue Organisation (SCRO)ofcom.org.uk, which handles cave and mine incidents (primarily in central Scotland).
  
  

• SARDA Scotland and SARDA Southern Scotland – volunteer Search and Rescue Dog Associations providing trained search dogs across Scottish regionsofcom.org.uk. (These are independent charities but work closely with SMR teams.)
  
  

Each Scottish MRT is a registered charity with its own identity (e.g. glencoemountainrescue.org.uk, lomondmrt.org.uk, taysidemrt.org.uk, etc.). SMR member teams collectively respond to hundreds of incidents annually in Scotland’s hills.

Mountain Rescue Ireland (MRI) – Umbrella Organization

Mountain Rescue Ireland – mountainrescue.ie – The representative body for 11 mountain rescue teams on the island of Ireland (covers both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland)en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org. Northern Ireland Teams operate under MRI and are part of UK SAR coverage:

• Mourne Mountain Rescue Team – mournemrt.org – Covers the Mourne Mountains in County Down, NIen.wikipedia.org. Established 1962, it was the first MR team in Ireland. 100% volunteer team responding to incidents in the Mournes and surrounding areas.
  
  

• North West Mountain Rescue Team – nwmrt.org – Covers the northwest of Northern Ireland (including the Belfast hills, Sperrin Mountains, and County Fermanagh areas)en.wikipedia.org. Founded 1980 in Derry/Londonderry, with multiple bases across NInwmrt.org.
  
  

• (MRI also includes 9 teams in the Republic of Ireland, such as Dublin-Wicklow MRT, Galway MRT, Kerry MRT, etc., and a national dog team SARDA Irelanden.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org. Those ROI teams are outside UK jurisdiction but often cooperate cross-border.)
  
  

PSNI Search & Rescue – In addition to volunteer teams, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has a Rescue Team (as noted in MRI’s info) for certain operationsmountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com, and NI relies on Community Rescue Service for lowland searches (see Lowland section).

RAF Mountain Rescue Service (RAF MRS) – Military SAR Teams

The Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service operates three specialist mountain rescue teams as part of the UK military’s aid to civil SAR. These units (based at RAF Valley in Wales, RAF Leeming in England, and RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland) are full-time RAF personnel trained in mountain rescueen.wikipedia.orgmountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com. Their primary role is to respond to military aircraft crashes in remote areas, but they also assist civilian mountain rescues alongside the volunteer teamsen.wikipedia.org. The RAF teams are integrated into the civilian SAR framework (Valley MRT and Leeming MRT are associate members of MREW, and Lossiemouth MRT is part of SMR)mountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com. Websites: RAF Valley MRT, etc., or via the RAF MRS page on MOD site.

Cave Rescue – British Cave Rescue Council (BCRC) and Teams

Cave and mine rescues in the UK are handled by specialist volunteer teams under the British Cave Rescue Council – caverescue.org.uk. BCRC is the representative body for 16 underground rescue organisations across the British Isles caverescue.org.ukmountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com. These teams are autonomous charities comprised of cavers, climbers, and mine explorers who respond to incidents in caves, mines, and potholes (and assist in above-ground searches in karst areas). Member teams include:

• Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO) – based in the Yorkshire Dales, covering caves in Yorkshire and Lancashire (one of the world’s oldest cave rescue teams, founded 1935)en.wikipedia.org. Site: cro.org.uk.

• Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation (DCRO) – covering Peak District caves/mines (Derbyshire). derbyshirecro.org.uk

• Mendip Cave Rescue – covering the Mendip Hills caves in Somerset.

• Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group (GCRG) – covering the Forest of Dean mines & caves.

• South & Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team (SMWCRT) – covering caves in South Wales (incl. Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, etc.)

• West Brecon Cave Rescue Team (WBCRT) – covering western Brecon Beacons area caves.

• North Wales Cave Rescue Organisation (NWCRO) – covering caves in North Wales (e.g., Ogof Draenen, etc.)

• Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit (COMRU) – based in Cumbria (Lake District), handling mine rescues (and part of Lakes MR region)

• Devon Cave Rescue Organisation – covering Devon caves (e.g. Pridhamsleigh).

• Midlands Cave Rescue Organisation (MCRO) – covering central England caves (e.g. in Peak borders).

• South East Cave Rescue Organisation (SECRO) – covering mines/caves in SE England.

• Scottish Cave Rescue Organisation (SCRO) – covering Scotland’s caves (e.g. Assynt region)

• Irish Cave Rescue Organisation (ICRO) – covering caves in the island of Ireland (primarily ROI, but also cross-border)mountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com.

BCRC member teams work closely with mountain rescue (some teams are dual-role MRT/cave rescue)en.wikipedia.org. For any cave emergency in the UK, police will task the nearest cave rescue team via BCRC. (Website for BCRC provides contacts for each team. Many teams also have individual sites or Facebook pages.)

Search and Rescue Dog Teams (SARDA) & Equine

Specialist SAR dog teams provide trained search dogs (typically air-scenting wilderness dogs) to assist in searches for missing persons. In the UK these fall under several associations:

• Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England (MRSDE) – formerly SARDA England – volunteers from English MRTs who train dogs for mountain and rural searchen.wikipedia.org. (sardaengland.org.uk)

• Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs – a regional group of dog handlers operating in Cumbria/Lakes (often called SARDA Lakes).

• SARDA Wales – covers North Wales (dog teams integrated with North Wales MRTs)en.wikipedia.org.

• SARDA South Wales – covers South Wales teamsen.wikipedia.org.

• SARDA Scotland – provides dog teams throughout Scottish MR regionsofcom.org.uk.

• SARDA Southern Scotland – an additional group covering Lowlands/Border areasofcom.org.uk.

• SARDA Ireland North & South – separate dog units in Ireland (SARDA Ireland serves both NI and ROI)en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org.

Additionally, the National Search And Rescue Dog Association (NSARDA) – nsarda.org.uk – is an umbrella body that accredits and represents many of the SAR dog groups across the UKmountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com. NSARDA has about 10 member units in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man, including some Lowland Rescue dog teamsmountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com. Examples of NSARDA members: NSARDA Wales, NSARDA Kent, Search Dogs Sussex, Search Dogs Buckinghamshire, etc., which often operate as part of Lowland Rescue teams (see below). All SAR dog teams are volunteer-run, and handlers are typically also members of an MRT or Lowland team.

Mounted (Equine) Search & Rescue Units

Mounted SAR (horseback search teams) are a niche but valuable resource in lowland areas. The UK does not have a single national mounted SAR body, but several Lowland SAR teams maintain equine units or partnerships. For example, Surrey Search & Rescue and Kent Search & Rescue include mounted searchers for covering large rural areas. These mounted volunteers (often experienced equestrians) can cover terrain faster than on foot and help in searching fields, forests, and rough areas where vehicles can’t reachlynnacton.com. There is also informal networking among mounted SAR responders, but currently no separate national organisation solely for mounted SAR – they operate under existing Lowland SAR frameworks.

Drone Search & Rescue (UAV) Units

Drone SAR capabilities in the UK are increasingly used by various teams and many have their own dedicated Drone / RPASsection as a part of another established team. 

Many police forces and volunteer SAR teams now deploy drones (UAVs) with thermal cameras to aid in searches. 

For example, Lowland Rescue teams often have drone sections, and CAVRA lists Drone Search and Rescue as one of its capabilitiestwitter.com. There are also volunteer groups like Drone SAR for Lost Dogs UK (a nationwide volunteer network using drones to find missing pets, which occasionally assists in person searches). 

Another example is the use of drones by Sky Watch Civil Air Patrol volunteers. While there is no single “Drone SAR” charity covering the whole UK (as these units are usually embedded in other teams), the emergence of trained drone pilots within SAR organisations is a key part of modern resilience efforts. (Civilian drone operators also coordinate with police in search incidents via programs like the NPCC “Drone Assist”.)

Lowland Rescue Organisations (Non-Mountainous Areas)

Lowland Rescue teams handle search and rescue in non-mountainous terrain (e.g. woods, fields, urban fringes, floodplains) across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The umbrella body is:

• Association of Lowland Search and Rescue (ALSAR), commonly branded Lowland Rescue – lowlandrescue.org – the UK’s governing body for Lowland SAR, representing dozens of county-based teamsuksar.commountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com. Lowland Rescue provides standards and training for its member units, which primarily conduct missing person searches in lowland areas (often in support of police). There are around 36 teams in Lowland Rescuemountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com, each a volunteer charity covering a police force area or county. Members also include dedicated search dog teams. Key teams include:
  
  

  • Berkshire Lowland Search & Rescue (BLSAR) – berkshirerescue.org.uk – Covering Berkshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Berkshire Search & Rescue Dogs – k9-sar.com – Search dog unit in Berkshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Buckinghamshire Search & Rescue (BSAR) – bsar.org.uk – Covering Buckinghamshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Search Dogs Buckinghamshire – searchdogsbucks.org.uk – K9 team for Buckslowlandrescue.org.

  • Cambridgeshire Search & Rescue (CamSAR) – camsar.org – Cambridgeshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Cheshire Search & Rescue – cheshire-sarteam.org – Cheshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Cornwall Search & Rescue Team – cornwallsar.org.uk – (Covers inland Cornwall; works with Peninsula MR).

  • Dorset Search & Rescue (DorSAR) – dorsar.org.uk – Dorsetlowlandrescue.org.

  • Dorset Search Dogs – dorsetsearchdogs.org.uk – Dorset K9 unitlowlandrescue.org.

  • Essex Search & Rescue – essexsearchandrescue.org.uk – Essexlowlandrescue.org.

  • Hampshire Search & Rescue (HANTSAR) – hantsar.org – Hampshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Hants Search & Rescue Dogs – hsardogs.org.uk – Hampshire dog unitlowlandrescue.org.

  • Isle of Wight Search & Rescue (WightSAR) – wightsar.org – Isle of Wightlowlandrescue.org.

  • Kent Search & Rescue (KSAR) – ksar.co.uk – Kentlowlandrescue.org.

  • Leicestershire Search & Rescue – leicestershire-sar.org.uk – Leicestershirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Lowland Rescue Oxfordshire (OxSAR) – oxsar.org.uk – Oxfordshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Midshires Search & Rescue – midshires.org.uk – Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire regionlowlandrescue.org.

  • Norfolk Lowland Search & Rescue (NorLSAR) – norlsar.org.uk – Norfolklowlandrescue.org.

  • Northamptonshire Search & Rescue – northantssar.org – Northantslowlandrescue.org.

  • Staffordshire Search & Rescue – staffordshirelowlandrescue.org – Staffordshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Suffolk Lowland Search & Rescue (SULSAR) – sulsar.org.uk – Suffolklowlandrescue.org.

  • Surrey Search & Rescue (Surrey SAR) – surreysar.org.uk – Surreylowlandrescue.org. 

  • Sussex Search & Rescue (SusSAR) – sussar.org – Sussexlowlandrescue.org. 

  • Search Dogs Sussex – searchdogssussex.com – Sussex dog teamlowlandrescue.org.

  • Warwickshire Search & Rescue – warksar.org.uk – Warwickshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Wiltshire Search & Rescue (WILSAR) – wilsar.org.uk – Wiltshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • West Mercia Search & Rescue – wmsar.org.uk – Herefordshire, Shropshire & Worcestershire (West Mercia)lowlandrescue.org.

  • London Search & Rescue – londonsar.com – Greater Londonlowlandrescue.org. (Urban search team for London’s parks and waterways.)

  • Yorkshire Search & Rescue – (Facebook page) – Covers South Yorkshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Lincolnshire Search & Rescue (LinCSAR) – lincslsar.org – Lincolnshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Nottinghamshire Search & Rescue (NSART) – nsart.org.uk – Nottinghamshirelowlandrescue.org.

  • Merseyside Search & Rescue – mersar.org.uk – Merseysidelowlandrescue.org. (Urban search and flood response in Merseyside region.)

  • Community Rescue Service (CRS) – communityrescue.org – Northern Ireland’s all-volunteer search & rescue organisation, covering all of NI for lowland searches, water rescue and community crisis responselowlandrescue.org. CRS has multiple teams across NI and works closely with police; it’s an associate member of Lowland Rescue.

  • Jersey Search & Rescue – jerseysar.org – Jersey (Channel Islands) lowland rescue teamlowlandrescue.org.

Each Lowland Rescue team is a registered charity of volunteers who train in search techniques, first aid, and often technical rescue (water rescue, swiftwater/flood, rope rescue for steep ground, etc.). They typically assist police in missing person cases in their counties. Lowland Rescue teams also coordinate for large incidents or searches spanning regions. (Lowland Rescue as an organization is an associate member of MREW, bridging cooperation between lowland and upland teams

In addition, Lowland Rescue Search Dogs groups (some listed above, like Search Dogs Sussex, Bucks, etc.) are integrated into the lowland teams or are separate charities under NSARDA. These K9 teams specialize in area search, trailing, or human remains detection in lowland environments.

Water Rescue & Maritime SAR Organisations

Surrounded by water, the UK relies on several organisations for maritime and inland water rescue:

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) – rnli.org – The RNLI is a major charity that operates over 238 lifeboat stations around the coasts of the UK and Ireland, providing 24/7 marine search and rescue services. It also supplies seasonal lifeguards on many beaches. RNLI crews (composed largely of trained volunteers) perform rescues at sea, inshore waters, and during flooding. The RNLI is independent of government yet is a key SAR organisation working closely with HM Coastguardhmcoastguard.uk. (All RNLI lifeboat stations can be viewed via the RNLI site; notable ones include Tower Lifeboat on the Thames, Barra Lifeboat in Scotland, Dover Lifeboat, etc.)

• Independent Lifeboat Stations – In addition to the RNLI, about 60 independent lifeboat charities operate in the UK (often covering areas historically lacking RNLI stations or providing extra coverage). These include stations like Horton and Port Eynon Lifeboat (Wales), Barrow Independent Lifeboat, Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) lifeboat stations on the River Severn and Severn Estuary, Lough Neagh Rescue (NI), Portishead Lifeboat (before joining RNLI), etc. Many are part of the Association of Independent Lifeboats. Each is run by local volunteers and funded by donations. (For example, SARA – sara-rescue.org.uk – operates multiple rescue boats on the Severn and Wye rivers, and also performs land searches in the area

• HM Coastguard – gov.uk/coastguard – Her Majesty’s Coastguard (part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, MCA) is the government agency coordinating maritime SAR. HM Coastguard manages the UK Coastguard Rescue Service, consisting of ~3,500 trained volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers in Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRT) around the coastline. These teams handle coastal cliff rescues, mud rescues, lost persons on the coast, and support search coordination. Coastguard also operates the 999/112 emergency maritime distress system and taskings for lifeboats, helicopters, etc. (Note: HM Coastguard and RNLI work hand-in-hand during coastal emergencieshmcoastguard.uk – Coastguard coordinates and calls out RNLI lifeboats as needed.)

• UK SAR Helicopter Service – The UK’s search-and-rescue helicopter service is government-funded but operated under contract by Bristow Helicopters (since 2015, replacing the earlier RAF/RN service). Branded as HM Coastguard helicopters, there are SAR helicopter bases around the UK (e.g. Newquay, Lee-on-Solent, St Athan, Caernarfon, Humberside, Stornoway, Sumburgh, etc.). These SAR helicopters respond to maritime and land incidents (rescuing sailors, climbers, lost hikers, etc.). They are dispatched by the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) and HM Coastguard. (While not an “organisation” to list with a website, their presence is integral – see MCA for info.)

• National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) – nci.org.uk – A volunteer organisation that mans over 60 coastal watch stations around England & Walesen.wikipedia.org. NCI watchkeepers provide a visual lookout and radio watch along the coast, especially at sites no longer covered by full-time Coastguard stations. They report incidents to HM Coastguard and assist with local knowledge. NCI is a registered charity and not part of Coastguard (but works under a MoU with them)en.wikipedia.org. Their motto: “Eyes Along the Coast.”

• Surf Life Saving Associations – As noted, Surf Life Saving GB and Surf Life Saving Wales are volunteer-based clubs that train surf lifeguards and perform beach patrols/rescues, often in tandem with RNLI lifeguards. They also contribute to coastal resilience (patrolling during coastal events, etc.).

• Flood Response Teams – Several volunteer groups provide flood rescue nationally. The RNLI has a dedicated Flood Rescue Team for inland deployment (they deployed during major UK floods). Lowland Rescue teams and 4x4 Response teams also participate in flood relief. Additionally, organisations like SERV (Blood Bikes) and UK Civil Air Patrol assist with logistics and observation during civil contingency events (e.g., flooding, where blood bike riders ferry medical supplies if roads flood).

Medical & Emergency Support Organisations

These organisations play crucial roles in rescue, medical response, and resilience, often working alongside SAR teams:

• Air Ambulance Charities – The UK’s air ambulances are mostly operated by regional charities (except two NHS helicopters in Scotland). They provide critical care paramedics/doctors and rapid helicopter transport for serious emergencies. Key air ambulance organisations include:

  • Cornwall Air Ambulance – cornwallairambulancetrust.org – Covers Cornwall/Scilly Isles (First HEMS in UK)en.wikipedia.org.

  • Devon Air Ambulance – devonairambulance.org – Covers Devon (two helicopters).

  • Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance – dsairambulance.org.uk – Covers Dorset/Somerset.

  • Great Western Air Ambulance – gwairambulance.org.uk – Covers Bristol, Bath & NE Somerset, Glos.

  • Wiltshire Air Ambulance – wiltshireairambulance.co.uk – Covers Wiltshire (and Bath).

  • London’s Air Ambulance – londonsairambulance.org.uk – Serves Greater London (helipad at Royal London Hospital).

  • East Anglian Air Ambulance – eaaa.org.uk – Covers Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambs, Beds.

  • Essex & Herts Air Ambulance – ehaat.org – Covers Essex and Hertfordshire.

  • Magpas Air Ambulance – magpas.org.uk – Charity based in Cambridgeshire, provides a doctor-paramedic team by air and response cars (covers Eastern England).

  • Midlands Air Ambulance – midlandsairambulance.com – Covers West Midlands (and part of Gloucestershire). Operates 3 helicopters across Strensham, RAF Cosford, Tatenhill.

  • The Air Ambulance Service (TAAS) – theairambulanceservice.org.uk – Umbrella charity running Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance, and the Children’s Air Ambulance (a national pediatric transfer service).

  • Great North Air Ambulance – gnaas.com – Covers NE England (Northumbria, County Durham) and Cumbriaen.wikipedia.org. Operates from Teesside and Langwathby.

  • Yorkshire Air Ambulance – yaa.org.uk – Covers Yorkshire (two helicopters)en.wikipedia.org.

  • North West Air Ambulance – nwairambulance.org.uk – Covers NW England (Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire)

  • Wales Air Ambulance – walesairambulance.com – Covers all of Wales with 4 helicopters (plus an additional Children’s Wales helicopter)

  • Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) – scaa.org.uk – A charity running 2 helicopters (based at Perth and Aberdeen) to supplement… the two state-funded Scottish Ambulance helicopters

  • Scottish Ambulance Service – Air Wing – scottishambulance.com/air-ambulance – Operates 2 Airbus H145 helicopters (Glasgow and Inverness) and 2 fixed-wing aircraft for Scotlanden.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org. (This is the only NHS-run HEMS in UK; all others are charities.)

  • Air Ambulance Northern Ireland – airambulanceni.org – Provides HEMS for Northern Ireland (based in Lisburn). Began service in 2017; charity-operated with 1 helicopter

• (Most air ambulance charities are collectively supported by Air Ambulances UK

airambulancesuk.org. They often work closely with local ambulance services and respond to 999 medical emergencies in support of NHS.)

• St John Ambulance – sja.org.uk – A nationwide charity delivering first aid training and medical services. St John volunteers provide ambulance cover at events and support the NHS in crises. During major incidents (e.g. London bombings, COVID-19 response) St John Ambulance personnel are a key auxiliary to emergency services

• British Red Cross – redcross.org.uk – Part of the international Red Cross/Red Crescent. In the UK the Red Cross has emergency response teams that help in disasters (rest centers for evacuees, psycho-social support, distributing supplies) and community resilience programs. They often partner with local authorities under the Civil Contingencies framework.

• St Andrew’s First Aid – standrewsfirstaid.org.uk – A Scottish charity (equivalent to St John) providing first aid training and event medical cover in Scotland. They are part of resilience arrangements in Scottish cities and have volunteer crews for emergencies.

• BASICS – basics.org.uk – The British Association for Immediate Care. A network of volunteer doctors and nurses who respond to serious accidents to assist ambulance crews. Many regions have “BASICS doctors” on call (in responder vehicles) to provide advanced medical care on scene.

• UK-Med – uk-med.org – A charity that deploys medical teams to international health emergencies (and has been involved in domestic resilience, e.g., training for epidemics). Listed under UK specialist medical response

• Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) – (NHS Ambulance Service teams) – Not charities (these are NHS units), but worth noting: each regional Ambulance Service has HART units of paramedics trained for major incidents (CBRNe, USAR environments, etc.). They often deploy alongside fire USAR or during complex rescues to provide medical care.

• Urban Search & Rescue (UK ISAR) – The UK’s official International Search and Rescue Team (UK-ISAR) is composed of firefighters from various Fire & Rescue Services, coordinated by the Home Office. They deploy abroad to disaster zones (earthquakes etc.) and also form part of domestic UK Urban Search & Rescue capability. Domestically, fire and rescue services maintain UK USAR units (with heavy rescue equipment for collapsed buildings) – 19 teams in England, plus units in Scotland, Wales, NI. These are part of Fire & Rescue rather than separate charities, but they work closely with volunteer SAR in events like building collapses or large-scale searches.

• Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) – Finally, at a planning level, each area has an LRF (multi-agency body under the Civil Contingencies Act) which includes the above NGOs and volunteer groups as partners. Through the LRF, organisations like 4x4 Response, RAYNET, Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc., are integrated into emergency plans. This ensures the resilience organisations can be mobilized in coordination with police, fire, ambulance and military in times of disaster. Volunteer groups often train alongside statutory services as part of this structure to ensure a prompt, efficient response when crises occur.

Each organisation listed plays a distinct role in UK emergency response – from rescuing people in mountains or at sea, to providing medical care, communications, or community support in disasters. Together, these SAR, contingencies, and resilience teams form a comprehensive network that saves lives and protects communities across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. 

This directory-style summary can serve as a reference for understanding who’s who in UK SAR and how they are structured and linked. 

Sources: 

Mountain Rescue England & Walesen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org; 

• Scottish Mountain Rescuemountainrescuedotinfo.wordpress.com; 

• Lowland Rescue member listlowlandrescue.org; 

• British Cave Rescue Councilcaverescue.org.uk; 

• UKSAR Directoryuksar.comuksar.com; 

• CAVRA & RAYNET descriptionsen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org; 

• HM Coastguard & RNLI infohmcoastguard.uk; 

• Air Ambulance dataen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org; 

• University resilience examplesussex.ac.uk.