Who we are

Silverton Medical Rescue (nonprofit, 501(C)(3)) is one of the first combination EMS and Search & Rescue teams in the State of Colorado, which affords us the ability to provide the highest level of emergency care possible in both the town of Silverton and the austere environment of San Juan County. Our county covers 388 square miles (1005 sq km) of some of the most remote and dramatic terrain in the contiguous United States, of which Silverton (population 637) is the only incorporated town. We also boast the highest mean elevation in the country at 11,240 feet. 

We provide an advanced continuity of care from the field to the hospital, and this standard has yielded incredible patient outcomes. This unique framework of mountain rescue-emergency care has proven to be the most effective model of emergency medical services San Juan County has ever had. With our incident types ranging from everyday lift-assists and cardiovascular compromises to backcountry motor vehicle accidents and alpine rescues, our personnel must be ready to respond to and manage an uncommon range of scenarios. 

This model requires an incredible amount of training for our staff - not only requisite medical expertise, but also extensive backcountry rescue training such as avalanche rescue, swift-water rescue, technical rope rescue, helicopter operations, and other advanced search and rescue techniques.

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“Our mission is to provide the highest quality of emergency care for San Juan County through education and training with the highest degree of integrity, quality, and consistency."