Karl Weber leads the mountain rescue Lower Austria/Vienna: A new way for rescuers!

Karl Weber leads the mountain rescue Lower Austria/Vienna: A new way for rescuers!

The mountain rescue in Lower Austria and Vienna has a new leader: Karl Weber was elected state manager on May 23, 2025 and steps into the footsteps of Matthias Cernusca, who took office after eight years. Weber not only has an impressive 30-year experience in mountain rescue, but has already participated in the state management in the past five years. His goal is to best support the around 1,400 volunteers from Lower Austria and Vienna and to further strengthen volunteering. [noen.at reports that…] (https://www.noen.at/niederoesterreich/chronik-gericht/bergrettung-noe-wien-bergrett-noe-noe-karl-ist-jetze--neuer-landesleiter- 477014255)

Weber is supported by the experienced mountain rescuers Simone Radl and Martin Angelmaier, who also act as deputy head of state. The local position leaders play a significant role in the election, because they were the voter representatives in this process. It should be emphasized that the new state manager demands legal framework for the voluntary rescuers in order to guarantee their security and effective cooperation. Five fields of competence are important that Weber has identified: prevention and information, legal framework of volunteering, digitization, cross -organizational cooperation and challenges through social change.

The legal framework of mountain rescue

dr. Klaus Burger, lawyer and regional manager of the Bergwacht Chiemgau, indicates that there is a legal claim for rescue operations, but this must not endanger the safety of the rescuers. The mountain rescue is therefore not a legal space. The operations management has the obligation to protect the life of the rescuers and assess risks. This responsibility falls on the head of operations, who not only have to keep an eye on the safety of the emergency services, but also have to take the weather conditions and other critical factors into account. bergwacht-bayern.de explains that ...

The challenges are particularly evident in difficult operations: it already occurred that inserts had to be canceled in adverse weather conditions or darkness in order not to endanger the safety of the rescuers. Formally reported operations can also be endangered by unreliable online information and changing weather conditions. Angelmaier emphasizes that the mountain rescue is investing in order to improve the public through social media and information campaigns.

missions and challenges

annually the mountain rescue company Lower Austria/Vienna carries out between 800 and 900 missions - about a third of these rescue activities affect invulnerable persons. A quarter of the missions are carried out at night or in bad weather, after all, half of the missions take place during the week. This once again illustrates the importance of mountain rescue for security in the forest and mountain regions. Interestingly, six missions on the Alpine Club on the Rax have already been counted this year, which illustrates the need for prevention measures.

Another trend that the mountain rescue is pursuing is the use of drones to support operations. This technology could help to further improve the efficiency and safety of the missions. In addition, the cooperation within the Lower Austria security family is steadily optimized. During regular meetings, representatives of the police, military, emergency call Lower Austria, red cross and fire brigade come together to exchange experiences and harmonize the procedures.

The mountain rescue is not only an organization with a long tradition, but also as a modern institution that faces the challenges of today's society. The promotion of youth work that Cernusca has promoted also remains an important concern in order to continue to ensure a strong community of mountain reserves in the future.