SALVAMONT - Past and present

The history of the Bacău lifeguard began more than 35 years ago, namely in the year 1984, when a group of mountain lovers laid the foundations of the first form of organization of the Salvamont activity in Bacău county, with the center in Slănic Moldova. The Salvamont band was established by the Decision of the Slănic Moldova People's Council. Three volunteer teams were set up that were taken out of production when they had an intervention on the mountain, at the Salvamont schools or at the Salvamont rallies. The area of ​​activity of the formation from Slănic Moldova was between Sălătruc and Poiana Sărată, more precisely the eastern slope of the Nemira mountains.

In the period 1984 – 1989, the head of the Salvamont formation from Slănic Moldova was Mr. Păduraru Vasile, and the members of the formation were volunteers: Toth Ștefan; 2. Cobuz Vasile; 3. Iacob Cristi; 4. PÎrjol Viorel; 5. Lungu Marian; 6. Fonoca Claudiu; 7. Zachariah Gabriel; 8. Solomon Gheorghe; 9. Bernad Eugen; 10. Bernad Valeriu; 11. Sekeres Ion; 12. Romica basket maker; 13. Long Dan; 14. Vlahopol Eugene; 15. Basketmaker Dan; 16. Dospinescu Ioan; 17. Foltache Mihai.

In 1985, the National Salvamont Seminar was organized in Slănic Moldova, an event that brought together all the Salvamont formations in the country.

In 1986, the International Mountaineering and Salvage Meeting was organized in Slănic Moldova, attended by delegates from Bulgaria, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Poland, France, Austria.

The Salvamont band from Slănic Moldova participated in the XVI – Poiana Brașov, XVII – Bucegi and XVIII – Borșa editions of the Salvamont Republican Rally.

Between 1984 - 1989, the members of the Slănic Moldova formation participated in the Salvamont Winter and Summer Schools, a Salvamont Base consisting of two houses was built, the formation was equipped with specific equipment, the mountain trails in the Nemira mountains were set up, the refuge was set up from the peak of Șandru Mare, a ski slope was built in the RAI 11 area.

In 1990, with no more support and funding from the Slănic Moldova City Hall, the Salvamont Slănic Moldova formation was disbanded.

In 2013, by Bacău County Council Decision no. 107, the County Public Service for Tourism Promotion and Coordination of Mountain Rescue Activity in Bacău was established., which operates as a public institution of county interest, with legal personality, subordinated to the Bacău County Council, with Mr. Botezatu Romil as Director.

The main objective of the County Public Service for Tourism Promotion and Coordination of Mountain Rescue Activity in Bacău is to carry out legal duties related to mountain rescue activity, popularizing, promoting and developing sustainable tourism in Bacău County.

Mountain rescue activity within County Public Service for the Promotion of Tourism and Coordination of the Bacău Rescue Activity It actually started at the end of 2013, by training and hiring the first mountain rescuers. Currently, the Service employs 14 certified mountain rescuers who have attended the certification courses of the National Mountain Rescue School, a school sponsored by the National Association of Mountain Rescuers in Romania, and the qualified first aid – paramedic courses, at the SMURD Training Center – ISU Iași.

The mountain rescue activity is led by Mr. Gheorghe Cosa, mountain rescuer, paramedic, search/rescue dog handler and the head of the Mountain Rescue Coordination Service within County Public Service for the Promotion of Tourism and Coordination of the Bacău Rescue Activity.

For efficient coverage and ensuring rapid interventions in the entire mountainous area of ​​Bacău County, the Mountain Rescue Coordination Service is organized into two Mountain Rescue Formations and twoCanine search/rescue units.

The Slănic Moldova Mountain Rescue Unit operates in the southwestern part of the county, namely in the extreme north of the Vrancea Mountains, the east of the Nemira Mountains, the Berzunți Mountains and on the Nemira ski slope in Slănic Moldova. The unit is composed of seven certified mountain rescuers employed.

The Salvamont Agăș formation operates in the northwestern part of the county, respectively in the east of the Ciucului mountains and the south of the Tarcăului and Goșmanului mountains. The team consists of six certified mountain rescuers, three of whom are employees and three are volunteers..                                                                                                                    

The Mountain Rescue canine units (certified for avalanche search and natural environment search) are made up of the dog Haruki with the mountain rescuer Gheorghe Coșa and the dog Raya with the mountain rescuer Florin Ciobanu. The canine units integrate, if necessary, into the search/rescue device of the two Mountain Rescue formations.

The Mountain Rescue Base is currently located in the Slănic Moldova resort, where the permanent service is carried out. It is a new, modern Mountain Rescue Base, with all the necessary equipment for fast and efficient mountain rescue services. In the Agăș locality there is a Mountain Rescue Post that serves the Agăș Mountain Rescue formation.

Since its establishment The County Public Service for Tourism Promotion and Coordination of Mountain Rescue Activity in Bacău, in 2013, and up to now (2020), the following objectives have been achieved::

• The constitution and training of two complete formations of attested mountain rescuers covering the entire mountainous area of ​​Bacău County;
• Carrying out the mountain rescue activity in all the mountains of Bacău county and on the Nemira ski slope in Slănic Moldova;
• Equipping the formations with high-performance mountain rescue equipment: drone with thermal imaging, 4×4 off-road vehicles – JEEP Wrangler, Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi L200, Duster, UTV, ATV, snowmobile, akija, UT2000 stretchers, backpacks and first aid materials, mountaineering and skiing equipment, protective equipment, dispatching system and radio communications, etc.;
• County Public Service for the Promotion of Tourism and Coordination of the Bacău Rescue Activity is the accreditation (by ANSMR) for carrying out mountain rescue activities and attesting the operational capacity of the Mountain Rescue formations;
• Development and approval of mountain tourist routes in the Nemira, Berzunți, Ciuc, Tarcău, Goșman mountains;
• Ensuring activities to prevent mountain accidents and the activity of permanence at the headquarters in Slănic Moldova;
• In February 2017, the first Avalanche Rescue Canine Unit was patented County Public Service for the Promotion of Tourism and Coordination of the Bacău Rescue Activity, formed by the Belgian Shepherd Roni and Gheorghe Coșa – the coordinator of mountain rescuers in Bacău County. In March 2020, the second Canine Unit formed by Raya – Border Collie and the same mountain rescuer was patented and in 2023 the Canine Unit formed by Haruki (following the retirement of the dog Roni)
• Carrying out activities to promote mountain tourist routes in the county.