Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
Croatia's national voluntary mountain and difficult-access rescue organization.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, known in Croatian as Hrvatska gorska služba spašavanja and commonly abbreviated HGSS or GSS, is a national voluntary, professional, humanitarian and non-partisan association operating in the public interest. Its central mission is to prevent accidents and provide rescue, first aid and related emergency services in mountains, caves and other difficult or inaccessible environments throughout Croatia. HGSS is organized as a nonprofit service of national interest rather than as a commercial brand. Its work is delivered through 25 mountain rescue teams distributed across the Republic of Croatia. The organization combines trained volunteers, specialized equipment and local operational knowledge, allowing it to respond in rugged terrain as well as in situations that require technical rescue capabilities. Although its name is associated with mountain emergencies, its mandate extends considerably further. Teams may be called to incidents in urban areas, at height, in tunnels and pipes, and during road, maritime and other accidents. HGSS also supports rescues connected with paragliding, mountain biking, rafting, climbing and other high-risk or extreme sports. Prevention and education are an important part of the service's identity. Rescue teams provide guidance intended to reduce accidents in mountains and other inaccessible terrain, and they maintain a presence at major Croatian ski resorts, climbing areas and sporting events. Examples identified in reference material include Sljeme, Platak and Bjelolasica, the rock-climbing area in Paklenica National Park, mountain-bike races and sport-climbing competitions. This combination of intervention, public education and event support positions HGSS as both an emergency-response institution and a preventive safety organization. The service works closely with Croatian state authorities, local and regional governments, the armed forces, healthcare and social-welfare institutions, the Croatian Mountaineering Association, transport bodies, tourism and sporting organizations, and institutions responsible for nature and environmental protection. These relationships are important because many of the incidents it handles occur at the intersection of outdoor recreation, tourism, public safety and conservation. HGSS also has an international role. It is a member of the International Commission for Alpine Rescue, a member and founding participant of the European Cave Rescue Association, and a member of the International Search and Rescue Dog Organization. Croatian rescuers participated in the major Riesending Cave rescue in Bavaria, Germany, in 2014. Since 2018, the service has participated in NATO activities concerning major accidents and disasters. It has also developed a Croatian rescue module using vessels, designated HR FRB 01, with international exercises in Poland, Romania and Hungary forming part of its testing and development path. In addition, HGSS trains Chinese rescuers in water and flood rescue under the Rescue3 licensing framework. The organization is therefore best understood as a public-interest rescue service with national coverage, specialist technical capabilities and substantial cooperation across government, sport, tourism, environmental protection and international emergency-response networks.
History
The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service is Croatia's national organization for rescue operations in mountains and other environments where ordinary emergency access is difficult or impossible. Its Croatian name, Hrvatska gorska služba spašavanja, is commonly shortened to HGSS or GSS. The organization operates as a voluntary, professional, humanitarian and non-partisan association serving the public interest, and is described as a nonprofit service of national importance. Its operational structure consists of 25 mountain rescue teams distributed throughout Croatia. This nationwide network allows the service to combine local familiarity with national coordination. While mountain emergencies remain central to its work, the practical scope of the organization is broader. HGSS responds to incidents in caves, at height, in tunnels and pipes, and in other technically complex locations. It may also assist with road and maritime accidents and emergencies arising from paragliding, mountain biking, rafting, climbing and other extreme sports. The service's role includes more than emergency intervention. Prevention and education are core activities intended to reduce accidents in mountain and inaccessible terrain. Rescue teams maintain operational or support roles at major ski resorts such as Sljeme, Platak and Bjelolasica, at the climbing area in Paklenica National Park, and at events including mountain-bike races and sport-climbing competitions. Through these activities, HGSS links rescue expertise with outdoor recreation, tourism and environmental stewardship. HGSS operates through extensive cooperation with Croatian public institutions. Its partners include state authorities, local and regional self-government bodies, the Croatian Armed Forces, healthcare and social-welfare institutions, the Croatian Mountaineering Association, transport organizations, tourism and sporting bodies, and nature- and environmental-protection institutions. Such cooperation reflects the mixed nature of the incidents it handles and the need to coordinate medical, transport, security and conservation resources. The organization's international links are also significant. HGSS belongs to the International Commission for Alpine Rescue and the International Search and Rescue Dog Organization. It is additionally a member and one of the founding participants of the European Cave Rescue Association. In 2014, Croatian rescuers took part in the Riesending Cave rescue in Bavaria, Germany, demonstrating the service's ability to contribute specialized expertise beyond Croatia. From 2015 onward, HGSS developed a Croatian rescue module using vessels, designated HR FRB 01. The module was tested through international exercises in Poland, Romania and Hungary. Reference material states that final testing was expected in Moldova in June 2026; that future milestone should be verified against an official post-exercise report. Since 2018, HGSS has participated in NATO activities focused on major accidents and disasters. It also provides international specialist training: under the Rescue3 licensing framework, the service trains Chinese rescuers in water and flood rescue. Taken together, these developments show an organization that has evolved from a national mountain-rescue network into a broad technical-rescue and disaster-response partner. Its defining characteristics remain voluntary service, professional training, national coverage, specialist equipment, prevention work and close integration with Croatian and international emergency-response systems.
- 2026
Expected final testing of HR FRB 01 in Moldova
[1]Reference material identifies June 2026 in Moldova as the expected final testing stage for the Croatian vessel-based rescue module. The outcome requires verification after the exercise.
- 2018
Participation in NATO disaster activities
[1]HGSS began participating in NATO activities addressing major accidents and disasters.
- 2015
Development of HR FRB 01 rescue module
[1]The service began developing a Croatian vessel-based rescue module for major accidents and disaster-response missions.
- 2014
Participation in the Riesending Cave rescue
[1]HGSS members participated in the major rescue operation at Riesending Cave in Bavaria, Germany.
- 2006
Croatian Mountain Rescue Service Act
[2]Croatia enacted the Law on the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, providing a statutory framework for the organization and its public-interest rescue role.
Products and positioning
A national, volunteer-led and professionally trained humanitarian rescue service specializing in mountain, cave, water and other difficult-access emergencies, while also emphasizing prevention, education and cooperation with public authorities.
Rescue service
Mountain search and rescue
HGSS provides coordinated searches, casualty access, first aid and evacuation in Croatian mountains and other rugged outdoor environments. Its 25 teams provide nationwide coverage and support both routine emergency calls and incidents requiring specialized terrain skills and equipment.
Technical rescue
Technical and difficult-access rescue
The service conducts rescues in caves, at height, in tunnels and pipes, and in other locations that are inaccessible to conventional emergency vehicles or personnel. Its remit also includes selected urban, road and maritime incidents when specialist rescue knowledge is required.
Water rescue · 2015
Water and flood rescue
HGSS develops and delivers water-rescue capability, including a vessel-based Croatian rescue module designated HR FRB 01. The organization also trains Chinese rescuers in water and flood rescue through the Rescue3 licensing framework.
Safety education and event support
Prevention and event safety
HGSS works to prevent accidents through public education, safety guidance and operational presence at ski resorts, climbing locations and extreme-sport events. Its support has included sites such as Sljeme, Platak, Bjelolasica and Paklenica National Park, as well as mountain-bike and sport-climbing events.
Brand decisions
2018
Join NATO major-accident and disaster activitiesStrategyBackground
International cooperation created an opportunity for the Croatian rescue service to contribute to multinational preparedness and disaster-response activities.
Action taken
HGSS began participating in NATO activities concerning major accidents and disasters.
Aftermath
The organization strengthened its role as an international emergency-response partner alongside its domestic rescue mandate.
2015
Build a Croatian vessel-based rescue moduleStrategyBackground
The service expanded beyond land-based mountain rescue by developing a specialist module for waterborne response to major accidents and disasters.
Action taken
HGSS developed the HR FRB 01 module and subjected it to international exercises in Poland, Romania and Hungary.
Aftermath
The module became part of the organization's international disaster-response development, with reference material identifying further testing in Moldova in June 2026.
Recent events
- 2018
Participation in NATO major-accident and disaster activities[1]
Other
HGSS began participating in NATO activities related to major accidents and disasters, extending its international emergency-response cooperation.
- 2015
HGSS develops a Croatian vessel-based rescue module[1]
Other
The service began developing a Croatian rescue module using vessels, later designated HR FRB 01, for international major-accident and disaster-response cooperation.
- 2014
Croatian rescuers participate in the Riesending Cave rescue[1]
Other
Members of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service joined the rescue operation at Riesending Cave in Bavaria, Germany, an exceptionally difficult and high-profile cave rescue.
Sources3 sources
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