In the United States, mountain rescue is handled by professional teams within some national parks and by volunteer teams elsewhere. Volunteer teams are often members of the Mountain Rescue Association. Under the National Incident Management System, mountain rescue unit qualifications are standardized. Occasionally there are editorials or legislative bills suggesting that climbers should be charged for rescues, particularly after a sensational high-profile rescue. The American Alpine Club has released a report explaining the costs of a rescue and the potential problems resulting from charging for rescues. The MRA has issued a similar defence of climbers interests.
The Mountain Rescue Association is an organization of teams dedicated to saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education. The Mountain Rescue Association is split up into eight different regions throughout the United States and each region is run by a separate group of elected volunteers. These include the Alaska Region, the Appalachian Region, the California Region, the Desert Mountain Region, the Inter Mountain Region, the Oregon Region, the Rocky Mountain Region, and the Washington Region. The Mountain Rescue Association is mostly made up of unpaid professional volunteers who have been accredited by the Mountain Rescue Association in Mountain Search and Rescue operations. 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. The Mountain Rescue Association aims to improving the quality, availability, and safety of mountain search and rescue through;
Creating a framework for and accrediting member teams
Promoting mountain safety education
Providing a forum for development and exchange of information on mountain search and rescue techniques, equipment, and safety
Representing member teams providing mountain search and rescue services to requesting governmental agencies
The Mountain Rescue Association was established in 1959 at Timberline Lodge at Mount Hood, Oregon making it the oldest Search and Rescue association in the United States. MRA founding members: The AFRCC ; The U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division; The National Park Service; The National Ski Patrol; The American Alpine Club; The Mountaineers; The Hood River Crag Rats, Oregon; The Portland Mountain Rescue Unit, Oregon; The Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit, Oregon; The Seattle Mountain Rescue Council, Washington; The Everett Mountain Rescue Unit, Washington; The Olympic Mountain Rescue, Washington; The Tacoma Mountain Rescue Unit, Washington; The Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit, Idaho; The Altadena Mountain Rescue Unit, California.
