Wherever you are, you never know what might happen. Záchranka is always ready in your mobile phone to quickly contact the emergency services or the mountain rescue service with the push of a single button. In addition, it has a number of other smart features and connections that will help you in an emergency.

User verification
Calling for help
Mountain Rescue
Locator
Videos

Verify your
phone number

To send emergency messages with your exact location while simultaneously calling the 155 emergency line, verify your phone number in advance through the app.

Enter your name and mobile phone number. Then tap on "Verify phone number".

During verification, you will receive an SMS containing an activation code to enter in the app.
For Android users: the code is entered automatically so there is no need to enter it manually.
For iOS users: the keyboard will suggest the code from the SMS message.

Once confirmed, the app is then ready to send emergency messages with your exact location.

Download and use of the app is free.

Complete your profile

You can enter additional personal details in the app’s settings. This information, together with your exact location, will be used to help the responding crew during a rescue mission.

Add your address, next-of-kin contact details, and any current health problems or medication to your health info.

The Emergency Services strongly recommend completing this step.

The Emergency Button

  1. Open the app.
  2. Press the red "155" button.
  3. You will see two options – "I need help" and "Cancel activation".
  4. After pressing the "I need help" button, an emergency message with your exact location will be sent after the cancelation interval has ended. The app will then offer to call the 155 emergency line; this step "must be confirmed manually".

In an emergency, always confirm the call to the 155 operator; the emergency operator cannot initiate a rescue mission until they have spoken with you.

The emergency message is sent via a data connection. In the event of an inactive or insufficient data signal, the emergency message must be confirmed and sent as an encrypted SMS message.

I Can’t Talk

You can find the „Can’t Talk“ button in the bottom left corner of the main screen. It’s there for all Záchranka app users who, for whatever reason, are unable to use voice communication with the 155 emergency line operator.

  • After pressing the „Can’t Talk“ button, a menu will appear with 9 icons for the most common emergency scenarios and injuries.
  • Select the ones that best describe your situation and then tap the red „Send Emergency Message“ button directly below.
  • This information, including details about your current situation and that you are unable to communicate by voice, is sent via the emergency message to the 155 emergency line dispatch.
  • Even though you may not be able to talk, you are still connected via telephone call with the emergency operator, who will adapt their communication to your current condition.
  • Deaf or hard-of-hearing users who have this listed in their profile will be offered this menu automatically after pressing the main red „Alarm“ button. (You can find more information on communication for deaf, hard-of-hearing, or users with a speech impairment in the FAQs.)

The icon menu also appears automatically when pressing the emergency button abroad (in countries where the Záchranka app is fully functional), thus minimising language barriers, and making sure the foreign EMS dispatch centre has more information.

Test mode

The app has a test mode for practising activating the Alarm function. Don’t worry, it won’t call 155 in test mode but when you really need it, you’ll know what to do.

After activating the alarm in test mode, you will see a push notification confirming your app is functioning correctly.

Apple watch

Záchranka on your Apple Watch

You can activate the alarm function from the smart watch on your wrist

Call For Help button

  1. Open the app
  2. Tap the Mountain Rescue Service icon in the bottom left corner of the home screen’s tab bar.
  3. If you're in the mountains and not seriously injured but still need the services of the nearest Mountain Rescue team, press the Mountain Rescue Service logo. Pressing this button will send an emergency message with your exact location to members of the Mountain Rescue Service in your current region. At the same time, the app will dial the 1210 Mountain Rescue emergency line.

Can’t Talk button

You can find the „Can’t Talk“ button in the Mountain Rescue Service module’s main screen, directly below the Call For Help button.

After tapping this button, the app will offer you 4 icons featuring the most common mountain emergencies and injuries: I’m Stuck - I’m Lost - Avalanche - I’m Injured.

After selecting the appropriate icon, click on the Send Emergency Message button. The app will then automatically dial the 1210 Mountain Rescue emergency line (in the exact same way as when pressing the Call For Help button).

My Trips

  1. The Mountain Rescue Service module’s main page also features the „My Trips“ icon.
  2. Tap on this button and you will see the „Add Trip“ option at the bottom of the screen.
  3. After tapping on it, select both the region you will be in and your chosen type of activity, and then tap on the red „Continue“ button.
  4. Enter your route’s starting point and time in the blue tab.
  5. You can also add up to three transit points. Enter your destination point and arrival time in the green tab and again tap on the red Continue button.
  6. In the next screen, you can enter contact details for your next of kin (to be contacted in case you don’t confirm your safe arrival via the app). You can then use the „Activate“ button to set up a notification function to prompt you to confirm that you have safely arrived at your destination within the set time.
  7. The next screen allows you to enter contact details for those who are travelling with you.
  8. Before finally confirming your trip, the app will notify you of the current conditions in your selected region.
  9. By saving the trip, your route and any information relating to it will be sent to the Mountain Rescue Service’s information system. If you don’t later confirm that you have safely made it to your final destination, the app will automatically alert the Mountain Rescue Service’s emergency dispatch.

Guardian

If you are hiking in the mountains, we recommend you to enter it in the „My Trips“. You can also activate the Guardian in this module - a feature that simplifies locating and rescuing you when you are no longer able to call for help. By activating the function, you activate the recording of your location for a period of time of your choice. At the same time, you can select a next of kin contact to share your location with. When the Guardian is activated you next of kins will receive a text message with a link to observe your location.

The app records your location with approximate accuracy of 300m, the feature has minimal impact on battery consumption. The important thing is not to turn the app off, but to let it run in the background! This way, in case of emergency, your next of kins and the Mountain Service have the last few points where you have been and can intervene more effectively. The Guardian works the same way in Slovakia and Austria.

Warnings and Alerts

The app also provides up-to-date warnings and alerts issued by the Mountain Rescue Service. You can receive a complete list of all notifications or limit these to just the mountain ranges you need to be informed about. If you are in an area covered by Mountain Rescue alerts but do not have notifications turned on, the app will recognise this and automatically receive any emergency notifications.

Avalanche forecasts

You can also find a complete avalanche forecast in the Mountain Rescue module. A numeric display rates the current level of risk in areas with an avalanche warning, with pictograms showing the level of danger and any observed avalanche indications. It also features an avalanche hazard rose depicting geographical danger ratings, accompanied by a full commentary and recommendations from the Mountain Rescue Service. You can view current avalanche forecasts for Czech mountain regions (Krkonoše, Jeseníky etc.) as well as for all Slovak and Austrian mountain regions. Just tap the flag in the top right corner of the screen to change country.

Locator

The Locator module, in the app’s tab bar at the bottom of the screen, immediately shows the nearest Points of Interest to you based on your GPS location. There’s no need to waste valuable time searching for information in an emergency – Locator immediately displays the nearest AED device, Mountain Rescue station, hospital ER, or 24hr pharmacy or dentist. Plus, it also works abroad in Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria. Just tap the flag in the top right corner of the screen to change country.

Guardian

You can also activate the Guardian outside the the Mountain Rescue Service operation area, i.e. anywhere in the Czech Republic or abroad. In this case, you turn on the function in the Locator and share your movements only with a next of kin. A link with your location is sent to the selected person by SMS and it is active for the selected period of time for which you activated the Guardian, plus three hours after the end. It is important not to turn off the application, but to leave it running in the background.

Always at Hand

No matter where you are, you never know what might happen. With the Záchranka EMS app on your phone, you can always quickly contact EMS or the nearest Mountain Rescue Service.

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