What's the criteria to join?

All volunteers need to be a minimum of 18 years old (we do not have an upper age limit & have a few volunteers who are retired) all team members must pass a Police check Fitness: All of our operational volunteers need to pass the Lowland Rescue fitness test annually. This is a 5-mile walk carrying your standard search kit (approx. 5-10 kg) and must be completed within 2 hours. Team kit (first aid equipment, maps, 5 person shelter, etc) are all supplied, along with safety kit (helmets, flotation devices, buoyancy aids, throw lines, etc). Personal equipment (rucksack, boots, walking gear, torches, personal first aid kit, etc) is an individual team member responsibility. We are a small charity with a limited budget, and as much as we would like to kit each member out fully, funds just do not allow for that at this moment in time. We do get very good rates from various suppliers, so team members are able to purchase their uniform at a fraction of the retail price. Training: All training is provided to our volunteers. we only have 2 intake a year is due to the length of time it takes to get our volunteers fully trained. To qualify as a Search Technician all our volunteers need to hold a First Aid qualification this is provided at no cost to the individual. New search technicians also need to complete a Basic Search Technician course, held over a weekend in the Northamptonshire. This course is run by the team and volunteers only need to pay for food and accommodation.