Altadena Mountain Rescue Team

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Altadena Mountain Rescue Team Our goal is to save lives through mountain rescue & education. Based at the Altadena Sheriff's station (LASD), we operate 24/7/365. Support AMRT today

The Altadena Mountain Rescue Team, a 501c3 non-profit organization, is staffed by volunteer reserve Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies. The goal of the organization is to save lives through mountain rescue and safety education. Headquartered at the Altadena Sheriffs Station, near the San Gabriel Mountains, the team is operational 24 hours each day, 365 days every year. AMRT is one of eight teams in Los Angeles County which, together, are staffed by 120 trained members.

09/26/2026

Since 1951, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

May 9th, 1952, Altadena Mountain Rescue Team and the Sierra Madre Mountain Rescue Team appear in the Pasadena Star News....
09/14/2026

May 9th, 1952, Altadena Mountain Rescue Team and the Sierra Madre Mountain Rescue Team appear in the Pasadena Star News.

Both Teams were founded around the same time and still work very closely on rescue operations 75 years later!

09/14/2026

The Altadena Mountain Reacue Team was founded on September 8th, 1951.

As one of the oldest organizations of its kind in Los Angeles County, this all volunteer rescue team has been dedicated to saving lives through mountain rescue and safety education for 75 years.

AMRT has been a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Reserve Forces Bureau since 1956.

Headquartered at the LASD, Altadena Station, the team is staffed by Reserve Deputies and Civilian Volunteer Rescue Specialists, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
It is one of eight teams in LA County

On June 7th, 1959, AMRT was included as one of the founding members of the Mountain Rescue Association. The MRA is the national governing body of accredited mountain reacue teams.

Please celebrate with us our 75 years of dedication to our community, our love of the outdoors, and to honor those that came before us, who made the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team what it is today.

Saturday 09/05/26 @ 1430 hours, AMRT, Los Angeles County Fire Dept. , and Angeles Nat'l responded to a mountain biker ov...
09/07/2026

Saturday 09/05/26 @ 1430 hours, AMRT, Los Angeles County Fire Dept. , and Angeles Nat'l responded to a mountain biker over the side of El Prieto Trail just North of the Inspiration Trail.

The mountain biker had crashed and went over a check dam. The rider fell approximately 30 feet and sustained major injuries.

LA County Fire Copter 22 arrived over head and circled the scene while the patient was treated for injuries, packaged in a rescue litter, and raised back up to the trail using technical rope rescue systems.

Once the patient was back topside a clearing in the trees was located and the patient was hoisted into Copter 22 and flown to the nearest trauma center.

This was another example of multiple agencies coming together and getting the job done!

Special thanks to Mount Wilson Bicycling Association for responding the next day and clearing the trees blown down by the rotor wash that blocked Upper El P!

09/03/2026

On September 3 at 1355 hours, AMRT responded with Los Angeles County Fire Dept. E12, S11, LA County Fire Air Operations COPT18, and Montrose Search and Rescue for an injured hiker on the Gabrielino Trail.

AMRT deployed its Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) to access the trail and safely extract the injured hiker so E12 and S11 could perform a medical evaluation.

Another great example of multiple agencies working together to get the right resources to the patient when access is limited.

08/04/2026

08/03/26 at approximately 1530 hours AMRT was notified that a family member called 911 to report their father was bitten by a rattle snake in the area of Bear Canyon Campground, Angeles National Forest.

AMRT requested LASD-SEB Air Rescue 5 and Montrose Search and Rescue to respond and assist in locating the patient.

Due to heavy tree canopy, teams were inserted in the area via hoist to search the canyon bottom. The patient was located quickly, assessed, and hoisted out to the nearest trauma center.

This was a text book example of Lasd Mike working seamlessly together and achieving great results.

Lessons learned: If you find yourself needing help in the back country, notify 911 first then notify family / friends. It takes time to mobilize rescue resources and every minute counts. The patient did a great job staying calm, staying put, and keeping SAR updated.

📸 spmorrisroe





07/27/2026

Today, Altadena Mountain Rescue Team joined Montrose Search and Rescue for a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) training exercise along Angeles Crest Highway.

Training together with our SAR partners strengthens coordination, communication, and our ability to provide an effective response when large-scale incidents occur.

06/29/2026

At approximately 2pm on Saturday June 27th, Altadena Mountain Rescue was called out for a 70 year old male who found himself off trail, lost on a ridge in need of assistance. The gentleman set out on the Crest Trail from the Sunset Ridge Road trailhead.

Members reached a location on the Chaney Trail east of the victim location provided by the 911 coordinates, in an attempt to obtain a visual of the victim. Members located him, approximately 1,000 feet to the west, on the other side of the canyon.

Given the heat, his age and location, the call was made to request Air 5 assistance in extracting the victim.

Air 5 inserted a medic and hoisted the victim, transferring him to Camp 2 for a hand-off to awaiting AMRT members.

The individual was transported to his vehicle, after being assessed for injuries.

Good news, The Angeles National Forest has installed an automated Day Pass dispenser at the intersection of Angeles ...
05/02/2026

Good news,
The Angeles National Forest has installed an automated Day Pass dispenser at the intersection of Angeles Crest Hwy. and Angeles Forest Hwy.
Make sure to bring your plastic, it doesn’t accept cash.

AMRT wishes a Happy Birthday! On July 7 2023, after a week of searching, using CalTopo to manage the entire operation, ...
04/18/2026

AMRT wishes a Happy Birthday!

On July 7 2023, after a week of searching, using CalTopo to manage the entire operation, we posted a CalTooo map of a missing person’s route. Two ultra runners had run that route, and called in information to the team that led us to the discovery of his body.

Like all search and rescue teams, we have used CalTopo on every operation- from sending “here’s my location” text messages to victims, to tracking the flights of our UAS’s and tracks of our rescuers in the field in real time, to helping managing evacuations in Urban areas.

It’s an incredibly powerful tool and we could not imagine search and rescue without it today.

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780 E Altadena Drive
Altadena, CA
91001

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