Being a part of the team requires a high level of commitment, both when training and once you are a fully badged member.
This is not limited to technical skills, but also assisting with fundraising events throughout your training and beyond.

Trainee members can expect to become badged and go onto the callout list in about 11-12 months.

Prerequisites to joining

  • Commitment - Training is every Tuesday evening, plus you must be able to attend a high ratio of weekend events and call-outs

  • Team work - Must be a team player

  • Physically fit - Dartmoor can be a physically tough place to operate with the equipment we use

  • Have access to transport

The syllabus covers:

  • Familiarisation with Dartmoor and areas around Devon

  • Search techniques in both rural and urban areas

  • River crossing techniques and river bank searching

  • Scenario-based medical and mental First Aid, and field trauma training

  • Map reading and navigation in all weather conditions, day and night

  • Helicopter awareness training

  • Rope training

  • Working with Search Dogs

  • Joint Team training with other MR teams

  • Health & Safety and Risk Assessment whilst training and on searches

Specialist Skills once you are badged:

  • Swift Water search techniques and rescues

  • Steep Ground rope work

  • Casualty Care training

  • UAV training

We will not be recruiting for an intake for 2026.

If you would still like to join us, we will review our personnel requirements towards the end of the 2026 and will update this, and also our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DSRTPlymouth/ where we will post any news & updates to our recruitment plans for 2027.


Many thanks for your interest!