1. How many members are there in the team?
There are usually about 35 full members and 4 trainees.
For callout purposes ( and some exercises ) we join up with the North of Tyne Search and Rescue Team.

2. What area does the team cover?
We cover the whole Northumbria Police Force area.

3. How many call-outs do you get a year?
This varies each year. On average, we get about 40 callouts per year which is a mixture of both rural and urban.

4. How are members contacted when there's a call-out?
Normally, someone will phone 999 and ask for the Police and/or Mountain Rescue. The police will then contact our team leader. As soon as we have details of the incident our command vehicle and trailer leave for the incident. When necessary, the rest of the team will be paged. With all incidents, the North of Tyne Search and Rescue Team are also called out and both teams work together.

5. Do you have any search dogs?
Yes, they are members of SARDA (Search And Rescue Dog Association). Our search dog is called Gem.

6. How much does it cost to run the team per year?
It costs approximately £20,000 per year to run the team.

7. How are you funded?
We are funded through voluntary contributions. Members of the public can make direct donation. We also actively raise our own funds, principally through our Cheviots Challenge event.

8. Where is the team based?
We are based at Northumbria Police HQ at Ponteland.

9. How do people become members of the team?
Experienced mountaineers can apply to join the team if they live and work in our operating area. We look for people with experienced of walking or climbing in the hills and who have experience of mountain summer and winter weather and who are available to attend call-outs during work and other times. Successful applicants undergo a six month training period before being admitted the team's call-out list. An accelerated membership is available for very experienced mountaineers with highly developed skills in, for example medical skills.

10. How long has the team been in operation?
The Northumberland National Park Search and Rescue Team ( now known as the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team ) was formed in the early 1960‘s as a result of an incident in the Cheviot Hills when two farmers returning from market died from exposure during a snow storm.