President Milanović Meets with Croatian Mountain Rescue Service Delegation

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović held a working meeting with a delegation of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS) in the Office of the President. HGSS officials acquainted him with their organization and activities as well as their commitment to offer assistance to the residents of the quake- and flood-stricken areas. They also informed him of preparations for the tourist season as they have multiple interventions each year.

The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service is a volunteer, non-profit, humanitarian and national service. Its mission is not only rescue, but prevention and education as well. The Service has 1,100 members, and all members are volunteers who perform close to one thousand interventions all across Croatia. In order to improve their basic activities, the HGSS also issues publications and cartography, carries out on-going work to improve the systems, informs the public, develops infrastructure even constructs shelters and heliports that are vital in rescue actions.

According to the Head of the HGSS Josip Granić, along with regular funding from the budget of the state and of local and regional self-government units, they strive to obtain as much funding as possible for their projects from European Union funds. The delegation also informed President Milanović of rescue actions and assistance that the HGSS has carried out in Banovina after the earthquake and during the flooding near Vrgorac. Together with the firefighters and the Red Cross, the HGSS is one of the fundamental civil defense systems in Croatia. It was founded in 1950, and celebrates its day on 15 June, the feast of St. Bernard, patron of mountain hikers and mountain rescuers.

Attending the meeting with President Milanović, in addition to the Head of the HGSS Josip Granić, were Deputy Heads Neven Putar and Josip Brozičević, secretary Darko Beljak, Head of office of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service Irina Stajčić, the Head of the Commission for Search and Avalanches Branislav Grubić, the Head of the Commission for Public Information and Analytics Jadran Kapović, Head of the Office of Unmanned Systems Filip Biočić, the Head of Cartography of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service Jasmina Benčić and HGSS members Ruđer Novak, Kruno Stipetić and Dalibor Ivelja. Alongside President Milanović was the Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defense and National Security Dragan Lozančić.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas