North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (NDSART) is on a mission to raise enough money to cover the cost of a new Incident Control Unit before the coming spring.

The NDSART, a charity which completely relies on donations to keep running, aims to raise £65,000 in the coming months to afford the new Incident Control Unit vehicle as the current is now 20-years-old and is very unlikely to pass its next MOT.

To meet the target, the rescue team has set up an online crowd funding facility which enables members of the public and local businesses to contribute to this fund-raising challenge.

Equipment officer at NDSART, Mick Burke, said: ‘While the original Incident Control Unit has served us well for over 20 years, it is essential that we replace it now with a new vehicle that is fit for purpose in the 21st Century.

‘The new vehicle will offer significantly enhanced operational support services to our rescue teams, as well enabling us to co-ordinate seamlessly with police, ambulance, coastguard and fire and rescue services.

‘The new vehicle will provide sufficient on-board workspace for two mountain rescue operators and two police officers. It will employ the latest digital radio, mobile Wi-Fi and computer technologies.

‘Housing all the medical equipment, stretchers and mountaineering equipment needed by our team, it represents a fully equipped and superbly mobile support facility capable of operating in the wildest moor climates or equally in urban environments.’

The new vehicle needs to be operational before next spring and will undergo a major technology installation and commissioning process before it can be put to use. The vehicle will be fitted with a ten metre antenna to increase radio range, two digital base station radio systems to monitor team channels and helicopter operating channels, and a further analogue base station. 

The vehicle will also have mobile phone linked Wi-Fi connection over three different phone providers for best coverage and handheld Airwave radios for communication with police and fire and rescue services. 

The vehicle will provide secure storage for medical equipment, a continuous 240-volt power supply with a reserve back-up generator, storage and charging facilities for 12 team radios and a deployable re-broadcasting back-pack. A team briefing shelter will be provided by roof mounted awning.

Mr Burke added: ‘We are totally dependent on public donations and business support for our funding: in the past, we have benefitted from very generous public support, but never before has our need been as great or time critical as it is now.

‘We must ask people to dig deep and help us meet our fundraising target so we can continue to support our local community here in the South West.’

The NDSART’s operations spread far beyond the moor operating across 700 square miles in Devon, of which only 100 square miles is on Dartmoor. The operational area stretches from Exeter to Bude and Launceston. Last year, the rescue team responded to 33 callouts, 56 percent of which involved vulnerable and despondent people.

To donate to the NDSART visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/NDSARTControl.