What we do

Every year thousands of people go missing. They may be despondent and in need of medical attention, have dementia and are confused, or are vulnerable, young or in danger.

Lowland Search and Rescue teams exist to find those vulnerable and missing people, and remove them to a place of safety. We cover the area between the mountains and the coast, in urban or rural areas, at any time of the day or night. Last year, we were called out to assist Wiltshire Police 94 times and our team gave over 25,000 voluntary hours.

Requests for the team to be deployed come from a Category 1 responder, for example the Fire, Police or Ambulance Services, a Local Authority or an NHS hospital.

The Team consists of approximately 120 members who can be called out by one of our Duty Phone Holders. They will act as a point of contact for an emergency service control room. Searches are then managed on the ground by our own Search Managers, who act under the direction of a Police Search Advisor (PolSA.) or an Officer in Charge.

Although our main role is one of search and rescue we can also be called out to help in situations where our training and equipment may be of use, such as assisting the ambulance service to retrieve an injured paraglider who had crashed into the side of a hill, preparing flood defences in severe weather, and getting doctors, midwifes and nurses through heavy snow to save lives.

We are a non-profit making organisation and rely on our own fundraising, along with donations, grants and sponsorship from the public and companies. We receive no government funding, and are a registered charity. All of our members are unpaid volunteers and we make no charge for our services.

Our safeguarding policy can be found here .

Our Mission

Making our communities safer by delivering a world-class standard of Search and Rescue services, saving lives where every second counts.

Our Vision

To be the best Search and Rescue Team we can be; working relentlessly to ensure that saving lives and supporting the statutory Emergency Services is at the centre of everything we do.

We are committed to developing our members into confident, professional volunteers, who are ready to respond 24/7, find missing and vulnerable people and get them to a place of safety.

Our Values

Excellence: We strive to provide nothing less than an outstanding capability, which our stakeholders know we will reliably deliver every time they call for our assistance.

Professionalism: When a Firefighter, Police officer or Paramedic sees someone in our uniform, they know that although being a volunteer, that person will behave in the manner that is expected of the UK Emergency Services.

Responsibility: Our team has a culture of ensuring our volunteers are people who can be trusted and depended on, even in the most difficult circumstances.

Inclusivity: We maximise our resources for the benefit of the whole community, and make sure nobody is excluded, discriminated against or left behind.

Compassion: We ensure that compassion is central to the service we provide, and we respond with humanity and kindness to each person’s pain, distress, anxiety or need.

Transparency: As an organisation we strive to be open and honest in how we conduct ourselves and communicate with our stakeholders, whilst at the same time respecting and protecting confidential and sensitive information. In the event that something goes wrong, we will be candid with those affected, ensure we learn from our mistakes and enable others to learn from them too.

Our Priorities

Public benefit – we will continue to listen to our stakeholders and ensure that the service we provide adapts to meet the ever-changing needs of the emergency response sector.

Be there when you need us – we will continue to provide a professional and prompt response when an emergency happens in Wiltshire, and be ready to give mutual aid across England and Wales if required.

Supporting and developing our people – making sure our volunteers are at the centre of everything we do, are well led and have the right knowledge and skills, is crucial to the success of our mission.

Make every penny count – we will continue to be a well-respected and trusted charity, using donations and grants in a responsible way to achieve our objectives.

Growing for the future - We will prepare to meet new challenges in years to come, with strategic direction to give a clear plan to base decision-making on.