The Rescue Squad’s missions and roles can be divided into three broad categories:
No one responsibility dominates, or is more important than the other two. However, the time commitment devoted to each one has changed over the years, changes from year to year, and changes within a given year. Since the Rescue Squad was founded, in 1958, the total call load has been approximately 40 percent wilderness related (searches and rescues), 25 percent public safety (motor vehicle accidents and medical emergencies), and 35 percent split between water and miscellaneous calls.