On top of the world

With a primary response area spanning more than 700 sq miles, including some of Ireland’s most rugged terrain, effective communications are vital to the team’s mission of saving lives.

In 2017 the Galway Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) spent 3,500 hours providing a 24/7 rescue service in remote and mountainous areas. When the team realised their radio communications equipment was no longer up to the task, they turned to SFL, a Motorola Solutions Platinum Reseller, who assessed their requirements to provide in-depth advice and guidance before supplying a range of equipment to suit their specific needs.

Due to the nature of the terrain which Galway MRT operates in, and due to the complexity of a mountain rescue operation, a new radio system had to be light-weight, have built-in GPS unit for tracking purposes, be fully waterproof and shock-resistant, provide interoperability with other mountain rescue teams in Ireland and, ideally, facilitate encrypted communication.