RECCO SAR Helicopter Detectors; Ready For Year-Round Search And Rescue Operations In Sweden

There are now three locations throughout Sweden where RECCO SAR Helicopter Detectors are operational. The detectors are strategically placed to be deployed at short notice all over the country. Availability is year-round and can help support the search and rescue of any missing outdoor enthusiast from skier to hiker or from hunter to cyclist.

The last few seasons, during the pandemic, we have experienced an exponential rise in people staying closer to home and being active in outdoor recreation every month of the year. To provide widespread search and rescue possibilities for people in need of help, the RECCO SAR Helicopter Detectors have been placed at three strategic locations in the country.

The current RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector placements at Kallax Flyg in Kiruna and Storm Heliworks in Östersund that cover large areas in Central and Northern Sweden, the latest installment of a detector at HeliAir Sweden in Västerås, add coverage to the Recco SAR network that can respond to calls for search and rescue in the south region of Sweden:

“HeliAir Sweden AB, being by far the largest operator in Sweden will substantially increase the service provided by RECCO. Even if we hope to never have to use the system, we are here to help the public with this amazing service provided by RECCO. We believe this will be a game-changer for the safety and security for hikers and skiers,” says Aram Rubinstein, CEO at HeliAir Sweden AB.

Directional radar system for year-round usage

RECCO technology is a two-part system, featuring a detector, carried by the rescuer, and a passive rescue reflector, carried by a missing person. Once the signal transmitted by a detector hits a RECCO reflector, the signal is reflected back to the detector and points the rescuer to search toward the missing person that is equipped with a reflector. Mountain rescuers and ski resorts worldwide have trained and used the system for many years as an electronic search and rescue device for avalanche rescue.

“Being a Swedish technology, we are excited to continue our expansion of the RECCO SAR helicopter detector network in our home market. Sweden is a country covered by forests and wilderness, where we hope to make more people searchable and help rescue teams shorten search times,” says Fredrik Steinwall, CEO at RECCO.

With the addition of the RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector, search and rescue groups have increased the use of the system from an avalanche search and rescue system, to a search and rescue system for missing people all year round involved in outdoor activities.

Many of the 150 RECCO Brand Partners are integrating reflectors into their Summer, Spring, and Fall products in support of the effort for outdoor enthusiasts to Be Searchable. These products include hiking shoes, backpacks, hiking pants, climbing harnesses, biking helmets and clothing, and camouflage hunting clothes.