In the news

Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW) has today (Tuesday 25 March 2025) announced the purchase of SARCALL Limited from its creator, John Hulse.

The SARCALL system is used by Mountain Rescue teams across England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland, as well as by many of their calling authorities (Police and Ambulance services) and other partner organisations including Cave Rescue, Search Dog organisations and the RAF Mountain Rescue Service.

John Hulse, a specialist member of Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation in North Wales, first saw the opportunity for a common call-out system in 2009: “My background in software development meant that I could see the potential for an online tool. What started as a way for MR teams to be easily called out rapidly developed into something more. Currently, it is used to log incident availability and activity, with integrated mapping and other functions, and to ensure consistent awareness for all partners in a search or rescue situation.”

“I am really excited that SARCALL can now progress further with stability, new investment and expertise. I’m confident that the team at MREW will carry on the work of maintaining and developing the platform, making a positive contribution to outdoor safety and effective multi-agency working for many years to come.”

Mike Park is the CEO of MREW: “I first came across SARCALL in 2009 and have seen it develop into a practical and essential tool ever since. After discussions with John, the Trustees of MREW have decided that this purchase is a natural progression and an opportunity to secure SARCALL’s future and invest in its development.”

There are no immediate plans for any changes to the SARCALL system nor to the contracts with end user partner organisations.

Phil Benbow, a Trustee of MREW, will be a Director of SARCALL Limited and a member of the new management team: “We’ve been working in the background to ensure that this change in ownership has little or no impact on the existing SARCALL system in action. A seamless change as far as users are concerned is essential, especially given the nature of the situations where it makes such an important contribution.”

SARCALL Limited, managed by a small team that will include at least one external expert as well as two MREW Trustees (Phil Benbow and Finance Director, Deborah Pourkarimi) and its ICT Officer, will operate separately from MREW, which is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered in England and Wales number 1178090.