Club Alpino Italiano National Alpine and Cave Rescue Corp (C.N.S.A.S.) Cave Rescue Coordination

ITALIAN CAI CNSAS SPELEOIT

INDEX

• History of Cave Rescue
• Structure of C.N.S.A.S.
• Tasks
• Fields of duty
• When an accident occurs:
  • How to behave
  • What the Cave Rescue needs to know
• Message to foreign expeditions in Italy
• National heads (italian)
• Area heads (italian - sensible map)
• Commissions (italian)
• Reports on past accidents (italian)

History of Cave Rescue

• First reports on cave accidents go back to 1866.
• The Cave Rescue is established about 40 years ago as a section of Alpine Rescue, organized by Club Alpino Italiano.
• At the beginning, there were 5 operative areas covering the national territory.
• Many regional and national laws support the operations and the administration of C.N.S.A.S.

Structure of C.N.S.A.S.

• 15 rescue areas (Zone) divided in many operating groups (Stazioni).
• All members are volunteers.
• About 700 volunteers.
• Each Zona cares for the training of its members.
• National Boards (Commissioni) deal with specific fields (physician matters, materials, cave-diving, canyoning, etc.).

The tasks

• Improving prevention (courses, studies on materials and tools).
• Rescue of injured.

Fields of duty

• Rescue in caves (limestone, lava, gypsum, etc.).
• Rescue in canyons.
• Cave-diving rescue.

How to behave

• Check the actual seriousness of victim's injuries (Does he/she answer questions? Is able to move? Is ill-breathing? Has a sensible heart-pulse? Has evident injuries?).
• Keep the victim warm and in a dry place.
• Leave somebody with the victim.
• Leave the cave, not alone and not in a hurry.
• Call the Cave Rescue, starting with the Local Heads. In many regions, the toll-free 118 number (Health-emergency) is active and knows how to call the Cave Rescue.

What the Cave Rescue needs to know

• Name of the caller and of the victim.
• Calling place.
• Calling phone number.
• Type of accident, conditions of the victim.
• Depth.
• Cave name, cave place and cave conditions (floods, squeezes, ...).
• Wait for a back call and directives from the Cave Rescue.
• DO NOT leave the calling phone.

Message to foreign expeditions in Italy

The heads of planned foreign caving expeditions in Italy are kindly requested to contact the National Heads, to arrange agreements in case of accident.

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This page was designed by Lorenzo Grassi and translated in english
by Graziano Ferrari on February 2nd, 1996. Last update: June 28th, 2001