Most of our incidents involve someone who is injured or unwell. It might be a walker with a broken ankle on the moor, a mountain biker who has come off at speed, or someone taken ill miles from the nearest road. We are often the first help to reach them. It can be hours before an ambulance crew can take over, often in wind, rain and darkness. So medical skills are at the heart of everything we train for.
Every member: basic life support
Every member who goes out on the hill is trained in basic life support (BLS). That means spotting a life-threatening emergency, giving CPR, using a defibrillator and keeping someone alive until more help arrives. Every member must keep it up, and we practise it continually, at training nights and in scenarios, so it stays second nature.
Our supporters train in basic life support too.
Remote Rescue Medical Technicians
Many of our members go further and qualify as a Remote Rescue Medical Technician (RRMT), Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s own medical qualification, previously called Casualty Care. RRMTs are trained to assess and treat injured and ill people in remote places and poor conditions, and to package a casualty safely for the carry out. They pass a written exam and practical assessments, and must requalify every three years.
What the RRMT course covers
- The primary survey: a structured, head-to-toe check that finds and treats the most dangerous problems first.
- Catastrophic bleeding, airway and breathing.
- Fractures, dislocations and splinting, and protecting the spine after a fall.
- Head injuries and loss of consciousness.
- Hypothermia and other effects of cold and wet.
- Medical emergencies such as chest pain, breathing difficulties, diabetic problems and allergic reactions.
- Moving a casualty safely: packaging them on a stretcher and keeping them warm for the carry out.
- Recording the care given on a casualty card, and handing over to paramedics.
How we train
Medical training runs right through our year. Sessions at our base work through the RRMT syllabus step by step. In 2026 that has included an introduction for new candidates, the primary survey, and trauma and fractures. Members also attend continuing professional development days with other teams, such as a regional day at Catterick Garrison in May 2026.
We train in the places we work: on the open moor, in woodland and at night, with team members playing casualties. Scenarios are built to be awkward and realistic, because real incidents rarely happen beside a road on a sunny afternoon. After real incidents, we talk through the care we gave so the whole team can learn from it.
Our team doctor
Our team doctor gives the team clinical advice and oversight. They check our training, keep our medical kit and methods up to national mountain rescue standards, and advise us on difficult incidents. Having a doctor closely involved means our volunteers can work confidently, knowing their training and kit are right.
Our medical director
Our medical director leads the medical side of the team alongside our team doctor. They set our procedures and standards of care, oversee our medical training and kit, review the care we give after incidents, and are our link with the ambulance service on medical matters.
Working with the ambulance service
Most of our incidents come from Yorkshire Ambulance Service. We often work side by side with paramedics, including the Hazardous Area Response Team, and with the air ambulance and the HM Coastguard helicopter. Our job is to reach the injured person, make them stable and bring them safely to an ambulance or helicopter. We then tell the crew everything we have found and done.
What you can do
- Learn CPR. The British Heart Foundation’s free RevivR course teaches it in about 15 minutes.
- Find your nearest public defibrillator on Defib Finder. In an emergency, the 999 call handler can tell you where it is.
- Carry a small first aid kit, a whistle, a head torch and a survival bag or bothy bag when you go out. See what to bring.
- In an emergency, dial 999, ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue. What to do in an emergency.
Our medical kit, training and qualifications are paid for by donations. Help us keep our skills sharp.