Mountain rescue in the United States

Volunteer teams are often members of the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA).

Under the National Incident Management System, mountain rescue unit qualifications are standardized.

National parks often call for the help of volunteer teams in their region, using a statewide Mutual Aid system, when they are not able to provide enough resources to search and or rescue effectively.

[6] As of 2007[update], the association is made up of over two thousand volunteers, divided in several dozen units.

The remainder of MRA teams are “Ex-officio” units, which are paid professionals in governmental service, and “Associate” units which are other mountain SAR related teams or groups.