San Diego Mountain Rescue Team

What San Diego Mountain Rescue Team does

San Diego Mountain Rescue Team (SDMRT) is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and all-volunteer organization founded in 1967 that delivers professional search and rescue (SAR) services across San Diego County, with operational reach extending throughout California and beyond when requested. The team operates under the direction of local county Sheriff's departments — primarily the San Diego Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit — and is activated through 911 emergency calls to respond in any weather, at any time, and on any terrain. SDMRT is an accredited member of the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) and adheres to MRA's certification, re-certification, and no-charge-for-rescue standards.

The organization's core products and services are twofold: (1) volunteer SAR operations, with over 1,500 missions logged since founding, and (2) mountain safety education, including the Hug-a-Tree and Survive program (developed in 1981 following the death of nine-year-old Jimmy Beveridge on Palomar Mountain, later donated to NASAR in 2005), the Ten Essentials curriculum, Navigation Basics, Lightning Safety, and the STOP wilderness survival methodology. Underlying capability rests on a 2–4 year volunteer training pipeline requiring physical fitness, wilderness experience, and personal commitment; members supply their own equipment and transportation.

SDMRT's revenue model is entirely non-commercial: the organization survives on individual and organizational donations, grants, and member dues (currently $35 annually, of which $15 is remitted to MRA). All rescue services are provided free of charge in accordance with MRA's official position against charging for SAR operations. Outreach is conducted through organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram), a content-driven website, community safety education programs in schools and scout groups, and donor engagement via the website. Governance is by a seven-person Board of Directors elected annually by the membership.

Name

San Diego Mountain Rescue Team

Legal name

San Diego Mountain Rescue Team

Website

https://sdmrt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

San Diego Mountain Rescue Team is a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer nonprofit founded in 1967 that provides free professional search and rescue services and mountain safety education across San Diego County under the coordination of local Sheriff's departments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Search and Rescue Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ)

Keywords

• Search and rescue
• Mountain rescue services
• Wilderness safety education
• Emergency response volunteer
• Missing person search

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization survives entirely on donations from individuals and organizations. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donations are tax-deductible.
2. Member Dues: Team dues are currently $35 per year, with $15 going to the National Mountain Rescue Association (MRA).
3. Grants: The organization receives grant funding in addition to individual donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SDMRT is an all-volunteer organization that provides professional search and rescue operations in any weather, at any time, and on any terrain, activated through 911 emergency calls under the direction of local county Sheriff's departments. It also delivers mountain and wilderness safety education programs to schools, scout groups, and community organizations, including the Hug-a-Tree and Survive child safety program. All rescue services are provided free of charge.

Product overview

San Diego Mountain Rescue Team operates as a single unified offering focused on volunteer search and rescue services and mountain safety education. The organization provides professional SAR operations and educational programs including the Hug-a-Tree and Survive child safety program, The Ten Essentials, Navigation Basics, Lightning Safety, and Lost wilderness guidance. SDMRT is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit and accredited member of the Mountain Rescue Association, founded in 1967 with over 1500 missions logged.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Search and Rescue Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1500 rescue missions completed since 1967
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• National Association For Search And Rescue (NASAR)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005In 2005, Ab Taylor donated the rights to the Hug-a-Tree program and materials to NASAR, who then modernized the program and continues to distribute the lifesaving educational content to children across North America and beyond.
• Mountain Rescue Association (MRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDMRT is an accredited member of the Mountain Rescue Association, a North American organization that requires certification and re-certification in search and rescue techniques, protocols, and procedures. MRA sets standards for mountain rescue operations and provides a network of accredited teams across North America.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• REI Co-op: Outdoor retailer and co-op that runs wilderness safety classes and stewardship programs; adjacent educational programming targeting overlapping outdoor recreation audiences, though at vastly larger commercial scale.
• Mountain Rescue Association: North American umbrella organization that accredits SDMRT and sets SAR certification standards; comparable as a broader institutional player that influences member-team operations, training, and policy positions.
• National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR): National SAR advocacy and training organization; comparable as a wider-scale body involved in SAR standards and dissemination of safety education programs such as Hug-a-Tree.

Direct peers

• Rocky Mountain Rescue Group: Boulder, Colorado-based volunteer MRA-accredited SAR team; comparable in size, training requirements, and free-service model, serving as a benchmark for western US mountain rescue operations.
• Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit: Volunteer mountain rescue team serving the San Francisco Bay Area; operates under similar Sheriff/law-enforcement coordination and MRA accreditation, with parallel wilderness SAR and community education missions.
• Alpine Rescue Team: Evergreen, Colorado-based volunteer mountain rescue team providing free wilderness SAR under Sheriff coordination; directly comparable volunteer-staffed, donation-funded operating model.
• Sierra Madre Search and Rescue: California-based volunteer SAR team serving the Los Angeles County mountains; closest geographic peer with shared operational terrain, MRA accreditation, and law-enforcement activation model.
• Portland Mountain Rescue: All-volunteer MRA-accredited mountain rescue team in Oregon providing free wilderness SAR and training; directly comparable operating model, funding mix, and no-charge service policy to SDMRT.

Others

• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): Wilderness education provider offering backcountry safety and survival curricula; comparable educational mission and wilderness safety methodology, though delivered as a paid commercial program rather than volunteer service.
• American Hiking Society: National nonprofit advocating for hikers and trails with a strong focus on trail safety and outdoor education; comparable nonprofit mission centered on outdoor safety and education outreach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SanDiegoMountainRescueTeam
• Instagraminstagram.com/sdmountainrescue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-diego-mountain-rescue-team

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about San Diego Mountain Rescue Team