Cross-country skiing service
Cross-country ski trail rescue – rapid assistance in cross-country skiing
With around 245 km of perfectly developed cross-country ski trails, the Region Seefeld is not only a cross-country skiing paradise, but is also considered the center of Nordic skiing in the Alps. With the installation of a special "cross-country ski trail rescue", which began as a pilot project in 2017, the Region Seefeld continues to invest intensively in the topic of "safety". Already in the winter season 2013/14, the foundation stone for this project, which is unique in Austria, was started and the first experiences were gathered.
The new – modern – way of cross-country skiing rescue is due to an initiative of the cross-country skiing school "Cross Country Academy" in Seefeld. Based on the experience gained there, a professional cross-country ski trail rescue concept was created in 2017 under the direction of the TVB, which is now currently being implemented in full on all cross-country ski trails in the region.
The aim of this concept is the care of an injured cross-country skier under the following three aspects:
- the fastest possible arrival of the rescuers at the patient's location,
- the highest possible quality of first aid on site, using modern emergency and rescue equipment,
- rapid and effective onward transport to the nearest doctor or, if necessary, to the nearest suitable hospital.
In order to be able to fulfill all principles to the full extent, important partners, such as the control center of the province of Tyrol or the ÖAMTC air rescue, were also integrated into the organization of the rescue concept. In addition, the mountain rescue stations Telfs, Leutasch and Scharnitz and the Seefeld ambulance service are involved in the system.
The cross-country ski rescuers are not only particularly knowledgeable about the area, but also have the necessary qualifications as first responders. In order to be able to provide the highest possible quality first aid on the spot, the team has modern means of operation and extensive medical equipment at its disposal.
The cross-country skiing rescue team is directly alerted digitally via the Tyrol control center and, in the case of operations, is also coordinated from there. During the official opening hours of the cross-country skiing trails, a permanently available team allows for a quick takeover of the operation. In order to also be optimally covered by emergency medical services and to be able to guarantee even faster transport in medically indicated cases, there is also a special cooperation with the ÖAMTC air rescue service.
Thanks to the new concept, professional help is now available to the injured cross-country skier in an even shorter time using the latest equipment. The Region Seefeld Tourism Association now provides not only the optimally prepared cross-country ski trails but also an ideal – modern – cross-country ski trail rescue.
Cross-country ski trail rescue
Cross-country ski trail signs as emergency call points
In cooperation with the Tyrol Rescue Control Center, a special pilot project was launched in the region. The position of every single cross-country ski trail sign in the region was measured using a dedicated app and the data was transmitted to the Tyrol Rescue Control Center. There, more than 2,000 points along the cross-country ski trails are now recorded in the database. The person reporting an accident (Alpine emergency call: 140) is asked by the dispatcher at the control center not only for the name of the cross-country ski trail but also for the presence of signage in the vicinity. In this way, the location of the accident can be determined even more precisely and the exact position can be passed on to the emergency services. This is an enormous relief for the crew, especially during emergency missions by helicopter, as the data is simultaneously transferred to a special map program in the cockpit. Already in the first winter of 2017/18, more than 80% of cross-country skiing missions were handled according to the new system.
Alpine emergency call:
T. 140 (without area code also from cell phone)
EU emergency call:
T. 112 (without area code, also from cell phone)
Alpine emergency signal: Within one minute, give an acoustic signal (e.g.: shouting or whistling) or a visual signal (waving a white cloth or flashing a flashlight) six times at regular intervals – repeat constantly with a one-minute break.