Rallye Rejviz is an International Professional Exercise and Competition for Emergency Medical Service Crews, founded in 1997.
The Rallye Rejviz was created in 1997 as a part of an EMS Conference celebrating the 20th anniversary of the EMS in Jesenik, the Czech Republic.
But why a Rally?
At every EMS conference, there is an exhibition of medical equipment as well as ambulances. When Jan Marsalek, the manager of RCS Brno, visited one of these meetings, he asked: “Why are all these cars just sitting here? Why don't they run around?!?” And thus the idea of the rally was born. Dr. Jiri Stana, the organizer of the Conference and director of Jesenik EMS then helped the idea to become a reality.
Why Rejviz?
The name given to this rally is that of a truly magical place Rejviz (the highest mountain village in Silesia) in the heart of the Jeseniky Mountains. It is where the first year of Rallye Rejviz was run.
In the years 1998 - 2008 the Rallye Rejviz was held at the BOHEMA sports and recreation area in Zlate Hory (Jesenik county), since 2009 the Rallye Rejviz is held at the Hotel Dlouhe Strane in Loucna nad Desnou (Sumperk county), on the southern side of the Jeseniky Mountains.
There is no doubt that rescue work and EMS are physically and emotionally demanding, stressful and often exhausting. Sadly it is also often underpaid and unappreciated by society, which takes it for granted. As a result, many workers become frustrated and disillusioned and sometimes feel that their work is truly that of fools who devote themselves to the service of their fellows.
This letter, which we sent to the registered crews together with the instructions in 1997, probably best describes the basic mission of the Rallye Rejviz - to contribute in a practical and competitive way to the exchange of experience that the crews of emergency medical services gain in their daily work.
Yet Dr. Michael Moles at the PECEMMS Congress in Opatija said it beautifully:
“You Czechs have one of the best EMS systems, since you also have the best sponsors!”
When we asked who these sponsors were, since the Czech EMS is a goverment directed organization, he replied: “You, he, she, ... you are all those sponsors ..” He's right! We, the rescuers and EMS workers, are the main sponsors and supporters of EMS and we are proud of it! Every dedicated rescuer invests into his occupation plenty of his own leisure time and energy.
Could we not do anything for them? One possibility is to offer them a chance to meet together, interact and thus to recharge their batteries or receive a “transfusion” of energy. This is how the Rallye Rejviz project came into its existence. The Czech rescuers now meet and cooperate in a different way. In the last several years we have noticed how eagerly this event is anticipated and how much the workers enjoy socializing and meeting together. They share information, learn from each other, and discover that they are not alone.
Over the years, the Rallye Rejviz has developed into a professional exercise and competition for the EMS crews. In the practical form of the competition we train the coordination of the crews during a simulated response (the tasks are designed as a normal EMS call) and the professional skills of individual crew members - doctors, paramedics and drivers.
A great advantage is the exchange of practical experience between rescue workers from all over the Czech Republic and abroad.
In 2007, the Rallye Rejviz organizing team was honored by the President of the Czech Republic Václav Klaus with the Golden Rescue Cross for their exceptional contribution to the rescue service.
Rallye Rejviz organizer is a civic association RALLYE REJVIZ, founded by members of the organizing team Rallye Rejviz. The competition is assessed with a uniform scoring system, the winning crew is the one with the most points.
During its existence, the Rallye Rejviz has gained a high reputation, and obtained the professional guarantee of the Czech Society for Emergency and Disaster Medicine and the Slovak Society of Disaster and Emergency Medicine, becoming a part of professional training of emergency medical services.
In 2018, the work of the Rally Rejviz organizing team was awarded by the Association of Emergency Medical Services of the Czech Republic.
Traditional coorganizers and sponsors are Olomouc Region, Village Loucna nad Desnou, Fire Rescue Service of Olomouc Region, MEDIPRAX CB, SICAR, OMS - MEDI, Studio-4 Jesenik, Czech Police of Olomouc Region and many companies and organization.
But our biggest sponsors are the enthusiastic and passionate volunteers who are involved in the preparation and realization of the Rallye Rejviz and without whose work the Rallye Rejviz could not exist.
Thank you!
