Program of 18th European Cave Rescue Meeting

The map with all locations

Table of Contents

Meeting Office Working Hours (location: ECRA Zone)

Tuesday: 18:00 – 21:00
Wednesday: 7:30 – 10:00, 18 – 21:00
Thursday: 7:30 – 10:00, 17 – 21:00
Friday: 8:00 – 11:00

Thursday, 25 September 2025

Arrival

07:30 – 10:00 and 17:00 – 21:00 Check-in at Meeting Office

19:00 – 20:30 Dinner (location: Dining tent)

Friday, 26 September 2025

08:00 – 11:00 Check-in at Meeting Office

07:30 – 08:30 Breakfast (location: Dining tent)

08:30 – 09:00 Walking to the Audience Hall

09:00 – 10:00 Opening Ceremony – In Audience Hall (location: Hall C – Audience Hall)

10:00 – 11:00 Organised transportation to Zimnik Quarry from Audience Hall

• Rope-diving operations
• Underwater transport of a casualty diver
• Patient centered transport considerations, medical bivouac (hot point) setup for assessment, intervention and continuous care
• Discussion in different stations

14:00 – 15:00 Lunch on site (flexible since lunch package will be offered) (location: Zimnik quarry)

• Effects of suspension on the patient in vertical and horizontal position
• Stretcher suspension systems
• Techniques to change the stretcher tilt (demos)
• Medical workshop (simulated scenario and practical demos)

18:00 – 19:00 Driving back from Zimnik Quarry

19:00 – 20:30 Dinner (location: Dining tent)

20:30 – 22:00 Your contribution (location: Hall A – Central tent)

• Downpatrick Head Sea Cliff / Cave rescue, 2022, Brian Mac Coitir, Adam de Eyto, Artur Lach, ICRO Wardens, 40 min
• A brief description of the underground adventures we have available in Oz and our cave rescue organisation, Brian Evans, Co-ordinator, Australian Cave Rescue Commission, Australian Speleological Federation, 30 min
• Speleo rescue in Russia: challenges and solutions, 10-15 min
• Fiber optic cable in Krubera Cave, 15-20 min

Saturday, 27 September 2025

07:30 – 08:30 Breakfast (location: Dining tent)

11:00 – 11:15 Photo of all participants (location: next to Hall A – Central tent)

11:15 – 11:45 Commission Presentations (location: Hall A – Central tent)

• Communication catalogue: Updates on catalogue, Pete Allwright – 10 min.
•  Presentation of Bulgarian Speleo Communication System, Cave Rescue Bulgaria – 20 minutes
• Geolocation Based on Communication Systems, Ryszard Głowacki (GOPR), Pawel Jeziorny (GRJ) – 10 minutes

11:45 – 15:30 Technical, PEC, Medical Commissions and Communication WG

PEC Commission, Winnicki Quarry (shuttle buses next to Hall A)

• Practical blasting in quarry
• PEL catalogue – starting

Communication WG, close to swimming pool

Demonstrations:

• Nicola 4 – Pete Allwright, BCRC
• Communication systems – Spéléo Secours Français
• Bulgarian Speleo Communication System – Cave Rescue Bulgaria
• Geolocation Based on Communication Systems – Ryszard Głowacki (GOPR), Pawel Jeziorny (GRJ)

Technical Commission, Hall A – starting 2:30 pm!

• Technical stretcher discussions 

Medical Commission (location: Hall B – Conference room)

• Inhalative analgesia – methoxyflurane (Dr. Brendan Sloan)
• Monitoring through fiberoptic communication (Dr. Mircea Galu)
• Medical and Leadership cooperation during a rescue (Dr. Cristiana Pavan)
• Discussions on new frontiers.

Cave Diving Rescue Commission, Swimming pool

• Saturday is scheduled for Public Safety Equipment Testing.
• Test dives with Kirby Morgan and Interspiro equipment.
• Use of small ROV vehicles in underwater searches.
• Full-face masks – discussion of advantages and disadvantages.
• DPV units.

15:30 – 16:30 Lunch (location: Dining tent)

16:30 – 17:30 Summary of Activities at Zimnik Quarry – Analysis and Conclusions (location: Hall A – Central tent)

17:30 – 19:00 Incidence operation management – to build a protocol  (location: Hall A – Central tent)

19:30 – 20:30 Dinner (location: Dining tent)

21:00 –  Party (location: ECRA Zone)

Sunday, 28 September 2025

07:30 – 09:00 Breakfast (location: Dining tent)

10:00 – 11:00 Departure