00:00The Italian Alps attract millions of visitors each year,
00:04placing significant demand on mountain rescue services.
00:07In the Piedmont region alone,
00:10rescue teams responded to more than 2,000 emergency calls in 2025.
00:15A training exercise on the border
00:18involving the Socorso Alpino Speleologico Piemontese,
00:22which is part of the National Mountain Rescue Service,
00:24and their French colleagues.
00:26Unlike the French rescuers,
00:28who are part of the military and professional emergency responders,
00:32the Italian team is made up entirely of volunteers.
00:35So why do they do this job?
00:39When you finish a rescue mission,
00:41you can't deny that you feel good.
00:43It is a job full of satisfaction.
00:46You fly to rescue people,
00:48and this is the most beautiful way to fly.
00:51Most Italian rescuers have regular day jobs
00:54and respond to emergency calls on a voluntary basis.
00:57If a mission arises during working hours,
01:00the government covers their pay.
01:02They are highly trained specialists in mountain and cave rescue.
01:08Today's training exercise is designed to share knowledge and techniques.
01:13Italian and French Alpine rescue teams collaborate often.
01:18Sometimes the weather conditions are better from one side or from the other,
01:23so it's better to get from a helicopter from French or from Italy.
01:27Both teams are practicing various steep rock rescue techniques including
01:33Helicopter hovering entry and exit.
01:37Setting up a rappel system.
01:40Repelling an injured person
01:42and winching operations exceeding the standard 90 meter cable length.
01:47So if I have an emergency and I have to call you,
01:51what's the first thing that you ask?
01:53Well, first of all, what number do you have to do in the European Union?
01:57112.
01:57Okay.
01:58They need to know what happened,
02:01so what kind of emergency,
02:02and, most importantly, where you are.
02:06So the first thing that I would do is Google Maps
02:08and try to describe where my place is.
02:11Yes, but smartphones have a better instrument.
02:14Okay.
02:14A more precise instrument.
02:16They communicate the GPS coordinates.
02:20And normally you find them in the compass app.
02:23So when you call the emergency,
02:25you have to read these numbers,
02:27which are 45 degrees, 11 minutes, 23 seconds north.
02:32And this kind of coordinates,
02:34you have them also if there is no telephone signal.
02:38Before heading off to find a phone signal or seek help,
02:42make sure you know the GPS coordinates of your location.
02:46And here are some other tips from Simon.
02:49Stay as calm as possible so you can give the correct information.
02:53Also, be prepared to wait.
02:55Rescues can take a long time.
02:57What are the most common mistakes people do?
03:00I think nowadays a lot of people have started going in the mountains,
03:08hiking, trekking, climbing,
03:11often without the proper preparation.
03:14Other mistakes include underestimating both the weather
03:18as well as the difficulty and length of the route,
03:21starting too late in the day,
03:23inadequate equipment and strain from marked routes.
03:28Italy's National Mountain Rescue Service has around 7,000 members
03:33and is one of Europe's oldest and busiest mountain rescue organizations.
03:37Founded in 1954,
03:40its volunteers train year-round
03:42and are reassessed every three to five years.
03:48What are the biggest challenges when you do a flight rescue?
03:53For me, as a doctor, to work outside from the hospital.
03:56The mountain is not my normal site to work
03:59and so sometimes I have to decide what I can do on the patient
04:03and what I can't do.
04:05Sometimes the weather changes.
04:07What about avalanches?
04:08Yes.
04:10Awesome.
04:10I did four in my life and they are really, really stressful
04:14because you know that you have a very, very, very small time
04:20and the clocks are tightening.
04:24As the training continues,
04:25we get the opportunity to fly with part of the team.
04:34My first helicopter flight, I'm terrified.
04:41Okay, let's go, let's go, let's go!
04:52And it's off into the Alps, to the training area.
04:58But my cameraman and I aren't allowed to descend
05:01because it's too dangerous.
05:03Even so, the experience was truly impressive.
05:07It gave me a glimpse of just how challenging these operations can be.
05:11Of course, this wasn't a real emergency and it was kind of fun.
05:15But it also left me with an even greater respect
05:18for all rescue teams who put themselves in danger.
05:25That's, uh, they're really, really tough.
05:26Also, this is the beginning of the spring of the season.
05:26There are only 6 years of anything that they want to see
05:26because they're been working on a whole time.
05:26I don't think that's why they want to talk to them.
05:27I don't think it's a lot of things.
