[1] MREW is a member of the International Commission for Mountain Rescue (German: Internationale Kommission für Alpines Rettungswesen / IKAR-CISA).
[2] Voluntary mountain rescue teams in England and Wales are independent charities whose members are highly trained volunteers who are called out by the police.
The police are legally responsible for land based search and rescue[3] but generally lack the resources to discharge this function effectively.
Neither MREW nor the regional associations have authority over the individual teams but provide an opportunity to discuss and agree standards, training and equipment.
[citation needed] The Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service has three teams – one in Scotland, one in England and one in Wales – and as part of the military is wholly government funded.