Wasdale MRT rescues a casualty

The campaign to protect Britain’s volunteer mountain rescue teams from proposed charges for using their radios has moved up a step with the launch of a petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Tim Rivett posted the e-petition on the Downing Street website, calling for all mountain rescue teams to be spared extra costs which would cause financial headaches for the teams, which are charities funded mainly by the public’s donations, and could even lead to closure of some teams. Tim’s petition closes on 17 November and, at the time of writing, had 194 signatures including, not surprisingly, many from the rescue community.

The full petition says: “Ofcom wants to bring ‘market forces’ into the maritime and aviation communications.

“It has started a consultation exercise, which ends on the 30 October 2008, on applying charges to spectrum use. Mountain rescue organisations are charitable voluntary bodies, funds are raised from public donation and their teams are staffed by volunteers.

“The additional cost of these licences will cause significant financial difficulties and potentially cause the closure of these vital emergency services.

“This proposal must be rejected wholeheartedly.”

grough readers can add their names to the petition by visiting the No 10 website.

You have to be a British citizen or a resident of the country to sign the e-petition. You can also add your submission to the Ofcom consultation which started the controversy by visiting the radio watchdog’s website.

Former Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team leader Bill Pattison added his views to our original story: “The Wasdale team managed to get the Government to drop this idea about 20 years ago.

“If Brown and Co wish to impose another of their not-so-stealthy taxes I suggest that rescuers vote with their feet and hand the responsibility and performance of rescues back to the police. After all it is their remit.

“By the time they have put together their health-and-safety protocol does anyone believe they would ever get on to the hills? The Government needs to be reminded that rescue teams save them millions of pounds each year and to provide an alternative would cost them even more.

“They seem to be handing money out with one hand and taking it back with the other, at least in Scotland.”

Previous e-petitions by outdoor campaigners have asked the Prime Minister to consider legalising wild camping in England and Wales; allowing the use of personal locator beacons; protecting lost footpaths and protect spending on mountaineering in the face of increased costs on the 2012 Olympics.

There are 57 volunteer rescue teams operating in England and Wales’s mountains and caves, with a further 15 lowland search teams. Scotland has 26 volunteer teams, plus three staffed by police forces. Six RAF teams also mount search-and-rescue operations in Britain, backed up by helicopters flown by the RAF, Royal Navy and the Coastguard.

Three volunteer rescue teams operate in Northern Ireland, along with the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Belfast-based team.

Last month, the Scottish Government pledged £300,000 to the 31 mountain rescue teams operating north of the border.