History
How it all started
Kendal Mountain Search & Rescue Team was founded in 1953 by a group of local enthusiasts as a direct result of the tragic events of Easter 1952, when 15 people lost their lives on the hills of Britain. Early conditions for the team were rudimentary with no base, no vehicles, no kit, but with less than 10 call-outs per year. Gradually the team has built up its resources with the Base at Busher Walk being completed in 1980, and the current improved version opened in September 1999.
The level of professionalism within the team has increased over the years to accommodate a rise in call-outs to the present average of over 40. In 1959 the team was constituted, adopting its current title, and instigated a commitment to regular and planned training. In 1969 the team acquired its first vehicle, an ex-WD Signals lorry, replaced by a Land Rover in 1973. Now the team has three Land Rover first response vehicles and a Renault Traffic personnel carrier.
In 1989 the team was issued with 15 police radios to improve communication on the fell, and pagers were acquired to initiate call-outs. Team kit appeared during the Nineties to give the public a sense of our identity, as much as to protect us in bad weather. Medical equipment has also improved in leaps and bounds over the last decade, culminating most recently with the introduction of vacuum splints and mattress, and a portable defibrillator. In 2005 all teams in the Lake District moved over to the latest hi-band radios and the team now has them in sufficient numbers for each team member to carry one when on a call-out. More recently, the team has fitted a number of radios with military specification GPS microphones which allow real-time tracking during incidents.
The team is looking constantly to the future in terms of its acquisition and use of equipment and resources, to maximise its efficiency and provide a professional service within a voluntary framework.
IN AN EMERGENCY
Please ring 999 and ask for Mountain Rescue.
Do not try and contact us through this site!