When someone is injured in a remote mountain area, help cannot always arrive by road. Sometimes, the difference between waiting and being rescued is a helicopter and the ability of everyone involved to work together when every second counts.
That is why mountain rescue teams from across Bosnia and Herzegovina joined EUFOR forces and aviation specialists for a joint Search and Rescue (SAR) training focused on helicopter rescue operations.
Five teams, bringing together 30 rescue personnel, took part in theoretical briefings, discussions and practical training designed to strengthen coordination and sharpen the skills needed in real-life emergencies. The training included helicopter hoist operations, casualty evacuation and specialised flight procedures.
For the rescuers, it was more than a training exercise. It was an opportunity to build trust, understand each other’s procedures and prepare for the moment when they may have to work together to save a life.
“This training is important in order to synchronize procedures of different players with EUFOR, and the system that is in place when the need for this rescue helicopter occurs,” said Fahrudin Dobrača, Leader of the Mountain Rescue Team from Novi Grad, Sarajevo. For Dobrača, the value of the training went beyond procedures and equipment.
“I am truly happy and satisfied because today we got opportunity to train our young volunteers who didn’t have chance before to pass those kinds of very important trainings with helicopters.”
Every rescue begins long before the call for help. It begins with preparation, practice and people who know exactly what to do when the moment comes. By training together, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s mountain rescuers and EUFOR aviation personnel are strengthening the cooperation and interoperability needed to respond quickly and professionally when lives are at risk.
Because when the call comes, there is no time to learn.
You prepare together so you can respond together.
