Members of the National Council (NR) of the Slovak Republic approved an amendment to the Act on the Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) on Wednesday. It brings several changes. For example, the age limit for the mandatory wearing of a helmet on ski slopes is being adjusted from the current 15 to 18 years. The amendment is also intended to make HZS more efficient and at the same time to prevent misuse of its name and logo.
- Parliament approved an amendment to the law on the Mountain Rescue Service.
- The age limit for mandatory ski helmets has risen to 18 years.
- The National Association of Mountain Rescuers will be established with voluntary membership.
- HZS can use unmanned aircraft for rescue and monitoring.
„The goal is to respond to several problems from application practice, including preventing the misuse of the HZS label and its emblem. In practice, there are often application and interpretation problems in relation to the possibility of movement of HZS members and other persons during field training in protected areas without prior approval of the nature protection authority. Regular training of members of the HZS service, as well as persons professionally qualified to perform rescue activities, is one of the prerequisites for successful rescue operations in the mountains. At the same time, the tasks and authorizations of the HZS are specified,” clarified the Ministry of the Interior, which is behind the amendment.
The amendment also establishes a state organization, the National Association of Mountain Rescuers. “Its role will be to exercise professional competence outside mountain areas using rope techniques and to defend the interests of its members,” the department added that membership should be voluntary. According to him, the association should also issue instructions regulating safety requirements for mountain guiding activities. “The goal is to establish the uniformity of certain procedures in the performance of mountain guiding activities and to prevent possible errors on the part of mountain guides,” zoomed in.
At the same time, the amendment expands the scope of mountain leadership activities by conducting technical assistance courses in the mountains. It also specifies provisions regarding the terrain in which mountain guiding activities are carried out. According to the new system, rope or climbing equipment should also be used in rescue operations in defined locations require professional competence similar to that of rescuers in mountain areas. At the same time, the HZS could, according to the proposal, perform rescue activities and monitor mountain areas use drones.
The MPs also approved an amendment to the amendment, which regulates the law on the state service of members of the Police Force. It deals with the temporary recruitment allowance. According to the new law, it will be possible to grant it to a police officer in the preparatory civil service who is first hired by December 31, 2026, instead of by December 31, 2025. suggests due to the justification and importance of this motivational tool. “Practice has shown that the temporary recruitment allowance contributes significantly to increasing the interest of new police officers in joining and remaining in the service,” the proposal is justified.
