Pompièrs Emergéncies has become the first search and rescue organisation operational in Spain to feature the Recco SAR helicopter detector, used to search for missing people over snow, sea and forests, year round.

Many search and rescue teams in Spain are equipped with handheld Recco detectors for avalanche rescue, however this is the first time the Recco SAR helicopter detector system has been made operational in the country.

”Until now we've had the handheld Recco detector that allowed us to search on foot. With the addition of the Recco SAR helicopter detector, which is placed under the helicopter, we've made an important step forward, allowing search missions to be carried out faster in a wider area. This tool can be used both during summer and winter to look for missing people in the outdoors and for buried avalanche victims,” says Juanmi Riu, head of the mountain rescue group in Val d'Aran.

The Recco SAR helicopter detector can quickly search large areas, covering one square kilometre within six minutes. Besides shortening search times, it can reduce the time and the exposure to risk for rescue workers during search missions.

“Adding Spain to the list of Recco SAR-equipped countries is a real milestone for us. The country is known for its widespread range of outdoor activities all year round, such as hiking, biking, rock climbing and skiing. These are all activities where our goal is to help the rescue community in case of an accident by making more people searchable,” says CEO Fredrik Steinwall.

Currently there are 31 Recco SAR helicopter detectors in operation globally, with 11 in North America and 20 units deployed across Europe. In addition to Spain, the latest deployments include Colorado Highland Helicopters in the US, Helico Secours in Canada and HeliAir in Sweden.