Portland Mountain Rescue is a

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

organization based in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, United States. It specializes in high angle mountain rescue and mountain rescue in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, as well as providing educational materials and information on mountain and backcountry safety. Secondary areas of operations include

Central Oregon Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards the ...

and western Washington. The organization is 100% volunteer and has about 65 field-deployable members. Portland Mountain Rescue is called upon by sheriff departments when there is a reported missing climber, hiker, or other rescue mission requiring the unit's specialized skills. Law enforcement does not climb the mountain, but relies on mountain rescue organizations for their skill, expertise, and experience. Since its inception, Portland Mountain Rescue has been involved in most rescues on

Mount Hood Mount Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about east-southeast of Portlan ...

. The organization's members have diverse backgrounds and professions. Their common attribute is that all are highly skilled climbers. Each member spends a minimum of 30 hours training each year in necessary skills: navigation, alpine climbing, rope work, wilderness survival, patient care, and others. Portland Mountain Rescue volunteers object to media reports suggesting the members "risk their own lives" as it is hard on their families and inaccurate. The organization has several procedures and requirements which insure its own member safety, such as working in teams of at least two on high, steep terrain.

History

In 1955, the groups which had been doing rescues formed MORESCO, an acronym for Mountain Rescue Council of Oregon. In 1959, MORESCO joined several other organizations from the western US and formed the Mountain Rescue Association at

Timberline Lodge Timberline Lodge is a mountain lodge on the south side of Mount Hood in Clackamas County, Oregon, about east of Portland. Constructed from 1936 to 1938 by the Works Progress Administration, it was built and furnished by local artisans during the ...

. By the mid-1970s, MORESCO was experiencing difficulties related to its wide geographic area; it began reorganizing into regional teams. In 1977, the Portland unit of MORESCO formed Portland Mountain Rescue.

References

{{reflist Organizations based in Portland, Oregon Mountain rescue agencies 1955 establishments in Oregon