Technology and innovation for cave rescue: the CTS 2025 Open Day at the Antro del Corchia

14 October 20254 weeks babelfish

Luca Longo's speech

Three days of discussion, experimentation, and training saw 56 cave rescue technicians from across Italy participate, from October 10th to 12th. The event was the CTS 2025 Open Day, organized by the Speleological Technical Commission (CTS) in collaboration with the National School of Speleological Rescue Technicians of the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps (CNSAS).

The event took place inside and outside the Antro del Corchia, in the marble quarries in the municipality of Stazzema (LU). The cave, one of the largest and most well-known karst complexes in Italy, with 80 km of caves surveyed to date, over 20 entrances, and a depth of 1,210 m, offered an ideal environment to test and demonstrate the most advanced cave rescue technologies developed in recent years by the CNSAS.

An underground laboratory for rescue technology

The goal of this first edition of the initiative is twofold: first, to illustrate to technicians from all CNSAS speleological delegations the technical innovations resulting from the work of the CTS; second, to allow participants to experience them directly in an underground environment, verifying their performance and operational functionality.

Over the three days, several systems were presented and tested, now fully operational and available to teams during medical rescue operations, including:

The "Estìa" internal camp , an advanced logistics module designed to manage complex operations far from the entrance. Composed of lightweight, waterproof modular kits, Estìa allows for the setup of a fully-fledged internal camp capable of housing a team of nine technicians divided into three "Night" tents and one "Day" tent. It provides thermal comfort, hygiene kits, water purification systems, freeze-dried food, and everything needed for rest and recovery for cave personnel. It can accommodate multiple teams of nine technicians in succession, ensuring autonomy and rapid assembly and dismantling.
The "Ermes" system is a patented Internet connection system for caves, based on two watertight cases—one internal and one external—connected via twisted pair telephone wires. It allows voice, video, and data connectivity inside caves. Produced in collaboration with BPG Radiocomunicazioni, it allows technicians and medical personnel involved in deep-sea rescue operations to make video calls, transmit medical data, ECG traces, ultrasound images, and other information in real time outside the cave and, from there, via an external connection, virtually anywhere in the world. To date, it has been successfully used in exercises up to 2,400 meters from the entrance. It represents a significant step forward in medical rescue operations in underground environments, allowing medical personnel treating injured people in caves to receive direct support from specialized medical personnel located in hospitals around the world.
The "Ether" radio-telephone link , a patented system developed in collaboration with BPG Radiocomunicazioni, enables direct, encrypted communication between the base camp and the cave interior, eliminating the need to set up an advanced camp or deploy technicians outside the cave to act as a "radio link." Transmission occurs via radio in real time and in full-duplex mode (speaking and listening simultaneously, like a telephone), ensuring clarity and continuity in operational communications. The control unit, housed in a waterproof case, also functions as an encrypted radio link with local mobile radios and can record conversations using an internal memory card. Rechargeable internal batteries and auxiliary modules ensure battery life.
The "TDR" echo sounder , a diagnostic and inspection tool for telephone lines in caves. It allows you to map the cable route from the cave entrance to the point where the incident occurred, identify interruptions or short circuits, and pinpoint their location thanks to a reflected signal that displays the fault location on a display. Derived from devices used in telecommunications, the model selected by CTS represents the best compromise between performance, cost, and robustness for the operating conditions of cave rescue.

Alongside the technologies already in operation, CTS technicians also presented projects in an advanced stage of development, illustrating their purposes, potential, and possible future applications in real rescue operations.

Learning, comparison and contributions from the field

The Open Day is aimed at all cave rescue technicians interested in learning more about the technological and communication aspects of cave rescue, particularly those with IT or telecommunications skills.

The goal is to train local representatives capable of using and disseminating these technologies within their own delegations, thus expanding the number of CNSAS operators able to effectively employ the new systems.

The outcome of this first edition was a complete success: participants not only acquired the knowledge necessary for the operational use of the devices, but also contributed observations, suggestions, and proposals for improvement. All the feedback gathered will now be evaluated by the CTS to determine its feasibility and, if possible, implemented in future system updates.

The National Speleological Medical Commission of the CNSAS participated in the Open Day with two nurses who were able to simulate a diagnostic ultrasound exam in a cave, connected remotely via Ermes, communicating with a specialist doctor who, from his office, was able to view the images in real time and provide support and guidance.

Finally, the event was also attended by the national leaders of the CNSAS, with the presence of the national vice president and three national councilors, including the national head of Speleological Rescue, demonstrating the importance placed on the role of research and technological innovation in constantly improving the Corps' operational capabilities.
Their participation was a recognition of the technical and educational value of the initiative, but also a sign of concrete support for the work of the Speleological Technical Commission, which for years has been the driving force behind the development and testing of cave rescue.

The mission of the Speleological Technical Commission

The CTS of the CNSAS is the body responsible for designing, testing, and implementing innovative equipment and techniques for underground rescue. It is part of the Corps' national technical commissions, which is in turn the technical body of the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) and the operational component of the National Civil Protection Service.

Through ongoing experimentation, the CTS contributes to improving the safety and effectiveness of rescue operations, developing tools capable of addressing the most complex and remote scenarios.

A future of collaboration and innovation

The CTS 2025 Open Day demonstrated how collaboration between the various components of the CNSAS and the dissemination of technological expertise represent a strategic investment in the safety and efficiency of future rescue operations.

This initiative went beyond training, fostering the sharing of experiences, the development of new ideas, and the strengthening of a network of technicians ready to operate with increasingly advanced tools. This ensures that—even in the most remote and difficult-to-reach places—the technology and professionalism of the CNSAS continue to make a difference.

This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/soccorso-grotta-open-day-cts-2025/ on Tue, 14 Oct 2025 11:43:39 +0000.