Croatian Air Force and Mountain Rescue Service train at Zemunik
The two-day joint training of the Croatian Air Force Mi-171 flight crews of the Multipurpose Helicopter Squadron and of the air rescuers of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service finished today, 4th December 2013 at the 93rd Croatian Air Force and Air Defence Base at Zemunik, Croatia.
This was the first-time opportunity for the air rescuers of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, previously trained on the M1-8MTV helicopters, to conduct their training on the Mi-171 Sh type equipped with the SLG -300 hoist which enables rescuing of the victims into the helicopter that remains floating in the air.
46 air rescuers from the Split, Zadar, Karlovac, Ogulin, Rijeka, Makarska, Zagreb, Požega and Orebić local units, who had previously taken the training for rescue operations using the Mi-8 MTV, gathered at the Zemunik Base for the training.
The training comprised helicopter ingress and egress by the air rescuers, air search and the rescue of the victims employing the rappelling, the „fix line“ and „steel rope“ techniques respectively, with the aid of the SLG -300 hoist.
The Chief of Staff of the 93rd Air Base, Lt.Col. Davor Tretinjak, emphasised that the Base has co-operated with the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service in search-and-rescue operations using the Mi-8TV helicopters, and that introducing the Mi-171Sh type increases the effectiveness of the the rescuing operations. „The purpose of the training is to upgrade the efficiency and dexterity of the rescuers in real-life situations of the kind. Rescue operations are extremely demanding as a rule and mandate excellent trainedness and preparedness of the Air Force crewmen and of the Mountain Rescue Service alike“, stated Lt.Col.Tretinjak. He also added that Croatia is among the world’s leading countries with respect to the capabilities of helicopter search-and-rescue and human lives saving services.
Srđan Vrsalović, the Head of the Helicopter Board and a member of the Split Local Unit of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service rated highly the co-operation with the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence. „The co-operation with the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence in rescue operations has always been beneficial. The Mi-8 MTV helicopter has been used for years, and the training with the Mi-171 Sh has offered us a highly important upgrade in view of the helicopter’s advanced characteristics with regard to rescue operations.
The training has contributed significantly to the quality of the search-and-rescue system in Croatia.
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