Mountain Rescue Group

The MCSA is a national body with 14 sections country-wide. Each section has its own rescue team, members of which volunteer their time to assist in rescues, searches or body recoveries in the mountain environment.

The mountain rescue team of the Hottentots Holland section is co-ordinated by ... . The team consists of approximately 25 members, all trained in various aspects of mountaineering, first aid and technical rope rescue. Training is carried out throughout the year and members work closely with other organizations operating under the WSAR banner such as Metro, the SAAF, the 4x4 Club and the South African Speleological Association.

Mission Statement

Mountain Rescue, under the aegis of the Mountain Club of South Africa, undertakes to provide an effective and efficient Mountain Search and Rescue service as a voluntary and free service to those in need of assistance irrespective of race, gender or creed.

Undertakings

Mountain Rescue recognizes that the well being of the patient and/or missing person is paramount and is, therefore, the guiding principle in terms of which all operations are planned and carried out. It therefore undertakes to:

• provide an efficient and effective call out system to ensure that adequate resources (manpower and equipment) are made available for an operation to be carried out;
• maintain and continuously improve its skills by ensuring that its team members are trained in terms of nationally and internationally accepted standards and practice;
• assist and support all those authorities who have statutory obligations with respect to searching for and/or the evacuation of missing, sick, injured or dead persons as well as any other authority or voluntary organisation wherever its expertise, experience and/or availability of resources ( manpower and/or equipment) can be of assistance;
• ensure that its members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct and that it will be responsible for the discipline of its members.

Principles

Axioms

1. I am a volunteer. I have no obligation or duty to offer my time or energy or to put myself at risk in order to assist others. It is my choice to do so.
2. As such I have a right to expect and demand that I do so in a safe and efficient manner. I have a right to decide on the conditions under which I am prepared to offer my services. I have a right to work together with other people and organisations that I trust and with whom I feel safe. If that environment does not exist then I have a right to withdraw my services.
3. I have no absolute right to be involved in rescue or in any particular team, and neither does anybody else. If I am involved it is because I have the skills, the commitment, the temperament, and the acceptance of the team of which I am a part.

Fundamental Principles for the MCSA SAR Team

The following are then the operating principles of a mountain rescue team which we believe are fundamental to safe and efficient operation.

1. The "team concept" is a core principle. In other words, it consists of a closely knit group of people sharing a common philosophy and trust in each other. It is not a loose collection of individuals who just happen to have certain skills.
2. It is an autonomous unit. The team is responsible for setting its own operating and training conditions and membership. It is not dictated to by any outside organisation or individual. Neither is it dictated to by any single member within the team against the wishes of the majority of the team members.
3. The team must elect, or at least approve of, its convenor and committee.
4. Safety and efficiency are paramount. Political expediency, representivity, political correctness, etc can not override this.
5. New members are to be brought in in a controlled an evolutionary manner, with agreement of the team, and on the basis of possessing suitable skills, experience, and temperament.
6. Team equipment is to be controlled by the team.
7. The team is a resource of the MCSA, offered to its own members and the wider community that requires it, according to one of the founding principles of the Club.

Conduct on Rescues

HHSAR has a Code of Conduct, which all team members must obey. Breaches of the code will be dealt with in accordance with the Disciplinary Protocol.

Training Regimen

Our team aims to provide WSAR with a group of technical rescuers who are capable of operating safely in mountainous and vertical environments in all weather conditions. To this end, HHSAR holds regular indoor and outdoor practices which mainly focus on technical rescue skills as well as medical, communication, search skills and general mountaineering skills.

Our training runs on a twelve month cycle, using this syllabus. Once you have been a trainee member of the team for twelve months you must be able to demonstrate, on request, any of the techniques and skills that have been covered during that time. Therefore the onus is upon you, the trainee, to ensure that you have learnt all the skills necessary to become a full team member.

Therefore it is our aim to produce a team of rescuers who are all considered to be WSAR Tech 1 or above. Assessments of team members by means of theoretical and/or practical testing will be used in order to ensure that these standards are maintained.

Trainings are conducted by senior members of the team as well senior members of other WSAR member teams.

Membership Requirements

We require that you are member of the Mountain Club of South Africa and aquainted with and regularly involved in outdoor activities. New members will go through three stages:

1.  Application

To join HHSAR the applicant needs to:

1. Complete the New Members application form
2. Be interviewed by the Training officer or the Training Officer’s appointee

2. Probationary Membership

If the Training Officer accepts the Applicant they become a Probationary Member.

Probationary Members will be assigned a Mentor. The Mentors responsibilities and duties are set out in full under Mentors

Probationary members need to:

1. Begin the process of joining the Mountain Club of South Africa (if they are not already members)
2. Complete the Members Information form
3. With the assistance of their Mentor, become competent in all the skills set out in the WSAR Personal Rope Skills (Appendix 1)

The Mentor, at their discretion may invite Probationary Members to participate on specific rescues.  The Probationary Member must have, at least, the WSAR Basic Field Rescuer Equipment

3. Full Membership

Probationary Members who wish to become Full Members of HHSAR must:

1. Submit a written application to the Training Officer, this application must be signed by their Mentor.
2. Pass an Assessment conducted by the Standards Officer, or an appointee of the Standards Officer.
3. Have, at least, the WSAR Intermediate Field Rescuer Equipment.
4. If the Applicant successfully completes the above, their application will be considered by the HHSAR committee.

4. Mentors

Mentors will be assigned to Probationary Members by the Training Officer. They are responsible for:

• Ensuring the Probationary Member is competent in all the skills set out in the WSAR Personal Rope Skills document
• Answering any questions the Probationary Member has
• Detailing the structure of HHSAR and WSAR
• Giving the Probationary Member a reading list
• Ensuring that the Probationary Member has the correct equipment
• Partnering the Probationary Member on selected rescues
• Ensuring that the Probationary Member attends training
• Passing on their own rescue skills and knowledge

The Mentor’s recommendation as to the suitability of the Probationary Member for Full Membership Status will weigh heavily in the consideration process.

Further information

For more information on a variety of topics related to rescue please contact: ...