State air rescue service
The Provincial Air Rescue Service began operations in 1986 with a single helicopter based in Bolzano (Pelikan 1). Two years later, a base was established in Bressanone with the rescue helicopter Pelikan 2.
During the peak season in winter and the summer months, the rescue helicopter Aiut Alpin Dolomites is also deployed; it is integrated into the Provincial Air Rescue Service and has been operating from the new base in Pontives/Val Gardena since 2003.
Since 1 February 2020, the Pelikan 3, stationed in Laas, has been the fourth emergency medical helicopter in South Tyrol. Alongside Pelikan 1, Pelikan 2 and the Aiut Alpin Dolomites, the fourth helicopter will primarily provide faster assistance in the western part of South Tyrol.
If necessary, helicopters from the Army, the police forces, the Carabinieri, the Finance Guard and, in the border area with Switzerland, those of the REGA will also be deployed.
All air ambulances are dispatched exclusively via the Provincial Emergency Call Centre 112
Aiut Alpin Dolomites
Aiut Alpin Dolomites (= the Ladin name for “Alpine Rescue in the Dolomites”) is a non-profit association (E.V.) registered as a public-benefit organisation (Onlus).
It comprises 17 mountain rescue teams mainly from the Ladin-speaking area of the Dolomites.
The AAD was officially founded in 1990, but has been active since 1987. The Aiut Alpin Dolomites helicopter rescue service was conceived and established by the volunteer mountain rescuers of the Ladin valleys of the Dolomites, whose driving force has always been solidarity with people in distress. These men embody the legacy of several generations of mountain guides and mountaineers.
Since summer 2003, the service has been based at the new helicopter base in Pontives (Val Gardena).
This was built by Aiut Alpin Dolomites in just under three years, thanks to generous donations from patrons and contributions from the Province of South Tyrol and the Trentino-South Tyrol Region.
The base was built on the basis of experience gained over the course of the previous 16 years of operation.
It features a hangar for the helicopter, garages, sufficient rest areas for the entire crew, a lounge, an office and a night landing pad.
This was created to be prepared for any night operations as soon as night flying is relaxed in Italy, as it has been in neighbouring Switzerland and Austria.
As a rule, Aiut Alpin Dolomites is deployed within a 10-minute flight radius in the neighbouring Dolomites for mountain and ski-slope rescue operations.
However, it is also called upon by the provincial emergency call centres 112 in the provinces of Bolzano, Trento and Belluno for special cases. This also involves road operations, medical emergency operations and patient transfers both domestically and abroad.
Outside of its on-call periods in autumn and spring, Aiut Alpin Dolomites is available for training exercises with mountain rescue teams and major events such as car and motorbike races.