Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Plymouth ⛑

What Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Plymouth ⛑ does

Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Plymouth is a registered charity (Number 1106095) and voluntary organization that provides free search and rescue services across Dartmoor National Park (369 square miles) and the wider South West of England. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Plymouth, Devon, the team is composed entirely of unpaid volunteers who are activated by Devon and Cornwall Police via the 999 emergency system when their services are required. The organization recruits experienced all-weather mountaineers who then complete a standardized 8–10 month training program covering night navigation, first aid, radio procedures, stretcher handling, and search techniques before being 'badged' onto the callout list.

The team's core products are Search and Rescue Operations, Training Programs, and Search Dog Services. Operations are supported by specialized equipment including purpose-built stretchers, radios, and first aid gear, and involve capabilities such as river crossing, night navigation, urban search, helicopter operations coordination with RAF Chivenor and Police Middlemoor, and stretcher carry-offs over rough terrain. Training is conducted every Tuesday evening on Dartmoor moorland and at regional locations, and the team coordinates with the Mountain Rescue Council of England and Wales, HM Coastguard, the Search and Rescue Dogs Association (SARDA England), and the British Cave Rescue Council.

The business model is non-commercial: all mountain rescue services in the UK are free of charge both to the person rescued and to any organisation. The team is funded through charitable donations and public support, with the Mountain Rescue Council arranging accident insurance for team members and purchasing public liability insurance. The entity has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no patents, no public offering, and does not engage in traditional marketing; public awareness is limited to a website with safety tips and community presence.

Name

Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Plymouth ⛑

Legal name

Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (Plymouth)

Website

https://dartmoorsartplymouth.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Plymouth is a UK registered charity providing free voluntary search and rescue services across Dartmoor National Park and the South West, activated by Police via 999 and funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mountain Rescue and Emergency Search Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Response & Search-and-Rescue (SAR) (BPAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ), Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR) (BPADADAA)

Keywords

• Mountain rescue services
• Search and rescue operations
• Volunteer emergency response
• Wilderness casualty evacuation
• Missing person search

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Public Funding: As a registered charity (Number 1106095), Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Plymouth is funded through charitable donations and public support. Mountain Rescue services in the UK are provided free of charge both to the person rescued and to any organisation. The Mountain Rescue Council arranges accident insurance for team members and purchases public liability insurance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (Plymouth) is a voluntary registered charity that provides free search and rescue services for missing, injured, or stranded persons across Dartmoor National Park (369 square miles) and the South West of England. The team is called out by Police via the 999 emergency system and conducts searches in both rural and urban environments, performs stretcher evacuations over rough terrain, coordinates helicopter operations with RAF Chivenor and Police Middlemoor, and deploys specialist search dog teams through affiliation with SARDA England.

Product overview

Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (Plymouth) is a voluntary charitable organization (Registered Charity Number 1106095) providing free search and rescue services across Dartmoor National Park and Devon. The organization operates as a single unified service combining ground search teams, search dog capabilities (Sunny), and specialized stretcher evacuation teams. Members undergo a standardized 8-10 month training program covering navigation, first aid, radio procedures, and search techniques, with ongoing Tuesday evening training sessions. The team coordinates with police, RAF Mountain Rescue, RAF Chivenor helicopters, HM Coastguard, and other regional mountain rescue teams during operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Search and Rescue Operations

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Mountain Rescue CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational coordinating body for Mountain Rescue in England and Wales. Affiliated body through which the team coordinates with government departments, arranges insurance coverage, and procures medical/first aid equipment and communications gear. The MRC also purchases public liability insurance for team members.
• Devon and Cornwall PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverall responsibility for search and rescue in the UK rests with the Chief Constable of the Police for the area. Police request voluntary rescue team assistance and coordinate all major incidents through the 999 system.
• HM CoastguardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResponsible for incidents on sea cliffs. Works together with voluntary rescue teams in both field operations and planning/organization of rescue.
• RAF ChivenormajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAF Mountain Rescue Team providing helicopter support for search and rescue operations. Team conducts regular helicopter training exercises with RAF Chivenor.
• Police MiddlemoormajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolice helicopter unit conducting joint training exercises with the team for helicopter operations and coordination during search and rescue missions.
• Search and Rescue Dogs Association (SARDA England)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization providing specialist search dog capabilities. Part of the Mountain Rescue Council network alongside British Cave Rescue Council.
• British Cave Rescue CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated specialist organization for cave and mine rescue operations. Works with Mountain Rescue Council on common interests including equipment and medical matters.
• Other Mountain Rescue Teams (Regional)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional teams including Ashburton, Okehampton, Exmoor, and Tavistock. Teams are grouped into autonomous regional organizations and support each other in major incidents. Team leaders may call on other teams in their region for assistance.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Mountain Rescue Council: National coordinating body for voluntary mountain rescue in England and Wales to which Dartmoor SAR Plymouth belongs. Comparable in SAR coordination mission and equipment/insurance procurement role; functions as an umbrella rather than direct responder.
• HM Coastguard: Statutory agency responsible for SAR on sea cliffs in the UK and a direct operational partner of Dartmoor SAR Plymouth. Comparable in emergency response mission, though operates as a government agency rather than voluntary charity.

Emerging players

• Search and Rescue Dogs Association (SARDA England): Affiliated specialist organization providing search dog teams to police and mountain rescue teams including Dartmoor SAR Plymouth. Comparable in the SAR capability stack and a direct working partner; not a geographic competitor but an adjacent capability provider.
• British Cave Rescue Council: National coordinating body for cave and mine rescue, affiliated with the Mountain Rescue Council alongside Dartmoor SAR Plymouth. Comparable as a niche SAR coordination body; overlaps in volunteer-led model and police integration.

Direct peers

• Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team: Lake District-based voluntary mountain rescue team affiliated with the Mountain Rescue Council, operating under the same police-led callout model. Comparable in volunteer structure, training intensity, and regional SAR remit.
• Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team: Scottish voluntary mountain rescue team (Scottish Mountain Rescue). Comparable volunteer-led SAR model with RAF and police helicopter coordination, though operates under Scottish rather than English/Welsh governance.
• Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team: Scottish voluntary mountain rescue team operating in a high-traffic wilderness area. Comparable volunteer-led SAR capability including stretcher evacuation, helicopter coordination, and search dog integration.
• Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team: Welsh voluntary mountain rescue team in Snowdonia (Eryri), part of the Mountain Rescue Council network. Closely comparable in volunteer composition, police 999 dispatch, and technical terrain rescue.
• Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team: Cumbria-based voluntary Mountain Rescue Council team providing free SAR services. Same callout and training model as Dartmoor SAR Plymouth, with similar reliance on donations and police partnerships.
• Keswick Mountain Rescue Team: Voluntary Mountain Rescue Council-affiliated team in the Lake District providing free SAR services through the 999 system. Directly comparable in volunteer-led operating model, training pipeline, police coordination, and rural/wilderness terrain focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dsrtplymouth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Plymouth ⛑