Huntsville Cave Rescue Unit, Inc.
Statement of Policy
The Huntsville Cave Rescue Unit (HCRU), based in Huntsville, Alabama, is an entirely volunteer organization specializing in cave, cliff, high-angle and rough terrain search and rescue operations.
The HCRU has over twenty-five years of experience and extensive training in cave and wilderness rescue, back-country navigation and wilderness first-aid. The unit maintains a mobile cache of specialized equipment to support search and patient evacuation operations. Each member of the unit carries adequate personal equipment to ensure self sufficiency in cave and wilderness environments for an extended period of time. The HCRU is one of the best equipped and most capable units of this type in the country.
The HCRU participates in search and rescue operations throughout northern Alabama, southern Tennessee, and western Georgia.
The unit conducts regular training courses in cave and high-angle rescue for area EMS personnel and outdoor enthusiasts. CEUs are approved for these courses. Additionally, the unit holds monthly training classes for its membership to present new information on medical, SAR, and high angle techniques. Training curriculums are prepared by HCRU members who have attained National Instructor status through the National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC).
The HCRU is not an Emergency Medical Agency, although many of its members are Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians. The HCRU is a specialized unit that is capable of locating an isolated victim and safely transporting him or her to a location where normal EMS operations can be effectively performed. The HCRU will work with and assist the local authority with one stated goal: Safe and successful evacuation of the patient from a hostile environment.
The HCRU is ready to assist any person or agency, within the bounds of its charter, as a public service.