Salvamont Prahova County Service

The County Public Salvamont Service of Prahova (Serviciul Public Județean Salvamont Prahova) is a county-council institution which, under Government Decision No. 77/2003, coordinates accident prevention and rescue in the mountains of its county: it patrols trails, staffs rescue bases and refuges, searches for missing people, gives first aid and takes the injured to hospital. According to the National Association of Romanian Mountain Rescuers it was founded in 2003. By its own account it is one of Romania's largest Salvamont services — first by number of employed rescuers, call-outs per year and helicopter-supported rescues; Salvamont services are the only bodies legally authorised to carry out mountain rescue.

How to call for help

Call the National Salvamont Dispatch on '0SALVAMONT' (on a phone keypad, zero followed by the word SALVAMONT; the digits are shown below) or dial 112. The dispatcher passes the call straight to the rescuers of your county. The official Salvamont app sends dispatchers your coordinates, altitude and battery level, but it works only with phone numbers registered in Romania; with a foreign SIM, phone instead.

When you call, give:

• your name and phone number;
• what happened (injury, illness, people lost);
• where and when it happened and how many people need help;
• the condition of the injured;
• the weather on site.

After the call, stay where there is mobile coverage and wait for the rescuers; give first aid, shelter from bad weather and keep the injured warm.

Area and stations

The service coordinates rescue throughout the county: in the Bucegi from the Prahova valley, in the Baiu and Grohotiș mountains, on Ciucaș and Siriu. Its main base is Cota 1400 above Sinaia, home to the 24/7 county dispatch; its own teams are on duty in Azuga, Bușteni and Cheia. Local Salvamont services also work in Sinaia and Bușteni.

Good to know

• The same '0SALVAMONT' number also answers questions about weather and trail conditions — call before you set out.
• The Salvamont app does not work with foreign numbers — save the dispatch number in your phone in advance.
• The trails down the Bucegi escarpment into the Prahova valley are steep; in winter avalanches come down the gullies above Bușteni.