Mountain Rescue Service of the Czech Republic
The Mountain Rescue Service of the Czech Republic is the country’s specialist organization for mountain search, rescue, first aid, prevention, and safety operations.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Mountain Rescue Service of the Czech Republic, known in Czech as Horská služba České republiky or HS ČR, is a specialist mountain-rescue organization serving the mountainous regions of the Czech Republic. Its principal responsibilities are searching for and rescuing people in difficult terrain, providing first aid, transporting injured or endangered visitors, supporting safety on ski slopes and mountain ridges, and helping prevent accidents through public information, patrols, weather and snow reporting, and avalanche observation. It operates as part of the Czech Republic’s integrated rescue system and works closely with the Air Rescue Service, the Police of the Czech Republic, public authorities, environmental-protection bodies, and other domestic and international rescue organizations. The organization’s historical identity is closely connected with the deaths of skiers Bohumil Hanč and Václav Vrbata in the Krkonoše Mountains on 24 March 1913. Hanč was taking part in a long-distance ski race when he became exhausted in severe conditions. Vrbata gave him his jacket in an attempt to keep him warm, and both men subsequently died from hypothermia. The event became associated with the Day of the Mountain Rescue Service and helped establish the rationale for a permanent mountain-rescue structure. A Mountain Rescue Service was founded in Krkonoše on 12 May 1935, followed by regional services in Jeseníky and Šumava in 1948, Orlické hory in 1949, Beskydy in 1951, Jizerské hory in 1954, and Krušné hory in 1955. A major organizational turning point came on 1 December 1954, when the regional volunteer teams were brought into one unified Mountain Rescue Service. Regional committees were created to supervise members and coordinate operations. The service later strengthened its international links by joining the International Commission for Alpine Rescue, commonly known as IKAR, and the Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme in 1968. Since 2004, the organization has operated under the institutional responsibility of the Czech Ministry of Regional Development. HS ČR covers seven principal mountain districts: Krkonoše, Jeseníky, Šumava, Orlické hory, Beskydy, Jizerské hory, and Krušné hory. Its operating model combines paid personnel with volunteers. The full-time and volunteer components are organized through separate legal entities but function operationally as one rescue service. Employees are available across the system and receive salaries and equipment, while volunteers serve without pay and are generally attached to a particular mountain district. Both groups are subject to comparable physical and knowledge requirements and receive the clothing and equipment needed for their duties. Operational work includes patrols on ridges and ski slopes, emergency duty at stations, avalanche monitoring, search operations, casualty treatment, and transport. The service uses vehicles and specialized equipment suited to snow and rough terrain, including all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, jeeps, and snowcats. Airborne rescues are undertaken in cooperation with the Air Rescue Service or the state police. Its participation in the integrated rescue system also allows it to assist during incidents outside ordinary mountain emergencies, including wider disasters such as floods. Although its vehicles may use emergency lights and sirens during responses, training, and exercises, the service itself has no law-enforcement powers. Rescue duties are defined primarily through tourism legislation, while a dedicated Mountain Rescue Service Act has been contemplated.
History
The modern Czech mountain-rescue tradition is associated with the Krkonoše tragedy of 24 March 1913, when ski racer Bohumil Hanč and his friend Václav Vrbata died from hypothermia. The incident became commemorated as the Day of the Mountain Rescue Service and illustrated the need for organized assistance in exposed mountain environments. A regional Mountain Rescue Service was established in the Krkonoše Mountains on 12 May 1935. Similar services subsequently appeared in other Czech mountain regions: Jeseníky and Šumava in 1948, Orlické hory in 1949, Beskydy in 1951, Jizerské hory in 1954, and Krušné hory in 1955. These regional bodies were consolidated on 1 December 1954 into a unified organization, with regional committees responsible for oversight and coordination. The unified service developed both volunteer and professional elements. Volunteers remained central to local mountain coverage, while full-time personnel provided salaried operational capacity and could assist across districts. The two components adopted comparable physical and knowledge requirements, although volunteers were generally assigned to one region and professional staff could be deployed more broadly. International cooperation expanded in 1968, when the Mountain Rescue Service joined IKAR, the International Commission for Alpine Rescue, and UIAA, the international mountaineering federation. These affiliations connected the Czech service with peer organizations and broader standards for mountain-rescue practice. Since 2004, the service has been placed under the Ministry of Regional Development. Today, HS ČR operates across seven mountain districts: Krkonoše, Jeseníky, Šumava, Orlické hory, Beskydy, Jizerské hory, and Krušné hory. Its headquarters are in Špindlerův Mlýn. Core duties include search and rescue, emergency medical assistance, casualty transport, patrols, avalanche observation, public safety communication, operation of rescue and reporting stations, and training of members and candidates. The organization also cooperates with the Czech Air Rescue Service, the Czech police, public administration, conservation authorities, and neighboring rescue services including those in Slovakia, Poland, and Germany. The service employs all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, jeeps, and snowcats for ground operations. Helicopter rescues are conducted with aviation rescue or police support. As a participant in the Czech integrated rescue system, it may also contribute to emergencies beyond ordinary mountain incidents. Its legal duties are principally grounded in tourism legislation. The service is not a law-enforcement body, although its emergency vehicles may use lights and sirens during authorized responses, rescue operations, and training.
- 2004
Placed under the Ministry of Regional Development
[1]The organization came under the institutional responsibility of the Czech Ministry of Regional Development.
- 1968
International affiliations established
[1]The service joined IKAR and UIAA, formalizing links with international mountain-rescue and mountaineering institutions.
- 1954
Unified organization created
[1]On 1 December, regional volunteer teams were transferred into one unified Mountain Rescue Service, supported by regional committees.
- 1948
Jeseníky and Šumava services established
[1]Regional mountain-rescue services were founded in Jeseníky and Šumava.
- 1935
Krkonoše service founded
[1]A Mountain Rescue Service was established in the Krkonoše Mountains on 12 May, providing the first major institutional foundation for the later national organization.
- 1913
Krkonoše ski tragedy
[1]The deaths of Bohumil Hanč and Václav Vrbata from hypothermia became the defining historical event behind Czech organized mountain rescue and are commemorated as the Day of the Mountain Rescue Service.
Products and positioning
A public-interest, specialist mountain-rescue organization combining professional staff and trained volunteers to provide nationwide mountain safety, emergency response, prevention, and interagency rescue support.
Emergency service
Mountain search and rescue
HS ČR organizes and carries out searches and rescues in mountain terrain, including ski areas, ridges, forests, and other difficult environments. Operations may involve foot teams, snow vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, snowcats, and coordination with aviation rescue or police helicopters.
Medical emergency support
First aid and casualty transport
Rescuers provide immediate first aid and arrange the secure transport of injured, ill, or endangered people from mountain locations. Air Rescue Service and other emergency organizations may be integrated when the severity or terrain requires aerial evacuation.
Safety information
Avalanche and mountain-condition information
The service observes avalanche conditions and communicates relevant weather, snow, and mountain-safety information. This work supports both operational decision-making and public prevention by warning visitors about changing hazards.
Public safety
Patrol and prevention services
Members patrol mountain ridges and ski slopes, staff emergency and reporting stations, maintain warning and information devices, and contribute to preventive-security materials. The organization also studies mountain injuries and recommends measures intended to reduce their frequency.
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