The Corpo nazionale soccorso alpino e speleologico (CNSAS) is a public utility service belonging to Club Alpino Italiano. The CNSAS’ goals, clearly defined by law, are the following:

• the recovery of injured, precarious people and the rescue of fallen people in the mountain territory, in the underground environment and in the arduous areas of the national territory
• to contribute to the prevention and the surveillance of accidents happened in the practice of related activities in these areas
• to compete to the rescue, in case of calamity, together with Protezione Civile’s structures, within its own technical and institutional competences.

The CNSAS provides the recovery of injured, precarious people and the rescue of fallen people in the mountain territory, in the underground environment and in the arduous areas of the national territory. It also contributes to the prevention and the surveillance of the activities dealing with mountain sports and speleological activities in these same areas. Moreover, being an operating national structure of the national service belonging to Protezione Civile, it gives assistance also outside the mountain territory in case of calamity.

The CNSAS is also in charge of the function of coordination in case of different rescue organizations’ intervention in a mountain, arduous or hostile environment, and its structures are specified to the regions as «subjects of exclusive reference for the fulfillment of rescue in the mountain territory and in the underground environment».

The CNSAS finds its origins in the innate spirit of solidarity of the mountain’s people, but it develops in a well-organized way only in recent times together with the growth of the mountain visits for touristic, athletic or leisure’s aims. The today’s CNSAS structure was born on 12th December 1954 thanks to a restricted number of people who, driven by perseverance and passion, wanted to make organic and organized the work of rescue already carried out for a long time by the mountain’s inhabitants, tourist guides and mountaineers of Club Alpino. Among the others, a special mention has to be given to dott. Scipio Scenico (from Trento) and CAI’s Presidente Generale Bartolomeo Figari. The CNSAS’s history has very far roots. Its main steps are the following:

1863
Club Alpino Italiano (CAI)’s foundation. Among its institutional tasks, there’s also the mountain rescue.
1926 and following
The CAI-UGET (Unione Giovani Escursionisti Torinesi) establishes the “Comitato di soccorso per le disgrazie alpine”. Few years later, the Società Alpina delle Giulie establishes the “Società di soccorso triestina” and in Lecco the first team devoted to the mountain rescue “Militi volontari” is created.
1932
The CAI approves “Regolamento per l’assistenza sanitaria in Montagna” with the first Stazioni di Soccorso (“Rescue Stations”).
1938
The CAI establishes the “Contributo di Soccorso Alpino” in every lodge for the purchase of healthcare equipment.
Same period 1932-1952
Many CAI’s Sections organize the “Stazioni di base” in the residential areas with a postal office whose personnel is composed (in accordance with the before mentioned Regolamento) by  “Guide, portatori del CAI e gli abitanti del luogo pratici della montagna, volontari, alpinisti e medici”, or, briefly said, the first Stazioni for the alpine rescue are instituted.
1946-1953
Many CAI Sections organize teams of alpine rescue and the SAT establishes a real unit of Alpine Rescue.
1954
The CAI’s Consiglio Centrale, on 4th September, in Bognasco (VB), approves to finance the establishment of 26 Stazioni for the alpine rescue. On 12th September 1954, in Clusone (BG), it converts the Commissione soccorsi Alpini in a CSA’s (Corpo di Soccorso Alpino) Direzione, which gather in a unique organization all the existing structures. Scipio Stenico is appointed director. The first Delegazioni are constituted in areas where alpine rescue had assumed more well-organized structures, in particular in Tarvisio (UD), Belluno, Trento, Edolo (BS), Bergamo, Sondrio, Borgosesia (VC), Aosta e Domodossola (Verbano-Cusio-Ossola).
1963
The Parliament approves law n. 91/63 – Riordinamento del Club Alpino Italiano, which allows CAI to organize adequate technical initiatives for the prevention of accidents in the practice of alpinism and for the rescue of alpinists and injured and precarious hikers for whatever reason, as well as for the rescue of the fallen people’s corpses.
1967
The new Regolamento changes CSA in CNSA (Corpo Nazionale di Soccorso Alpino).
1968
The Soccorso Speleologico is included in the CNSA becoming its speleological section.
1969
The CNSA is honored with the title of “medaglia d’oro al valor civile”.
1985
The Parliament approves law n. 776/85 – Nuove disposizioni sul Club Alpino Italiano, which attributes new competencies to the CNSA.
1990
The Soccorso Speleologico, from a section of the Soccorso Alpino, becomes an integral part of the structure, bringing into being the Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico (CNSAS).
1992
The Parliament approves law n. 162/92 – provisions for the CNSAS’s volunteers and for the facilitation of the related rescue operations.
1995
Law 225/21992 introduces the CNSAS among the operating national structures, so-called Strutture Operative Nazionali del Servizio Nazionale della Protezione Civile.
2001
The Parliament approves law n. 74/01 – Disposizioni per favorire l’attività svolta dal CNSAS, which recognizes to the CNSAS the function of public service utility, (remember that the CNSAS offers a public service in accordance with the law), in accordance with the subsidiarity principle.
2002
The Parliament approves law n. 289/02 – Disposizioni per la formazione del bilancio annuale e pluriennale dello Stato, which provides for the rescue in mountains, caves, hostile or arduous environments to be attributed to the CNSAS del CAl and to the Bergrettungs – Dienst (BRD) of Alpenverein Sudtirol (AVS). To the CNSAS and to the BRD is assigned the coordination of the rescue activities in case of different rescue organizations’ intervention, with the exclusion of large emergencies or calamities.
2002 and following
The CNSAS realizes important statutory and regulated modifications. The Scuole, to which law n. 74/01 is referred, are re-organized and disciplined.
2010
The CNSAS is honored with the second title of “medaglia d’oro al valor civile”.
2013
The CNSAS becomes CAI’s Stazione Nazionale also in accordance with D.Lgs n. 419/99.

NATIONAL COUNCIL COMPOSITION

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPOSITION

BOARD OF AUDITORS

BOARD OF PROBI VIRI

STATUTE

The CNSAS has always paid particular attention to its technicians’ education and training: as a matter of fact, the permanence in the structure, in accordance with the Statuto, is subordinated to specific and technical periodical tests. The Scuole nazionali are 8, provided for by law, and they are engaged into training, development of operations and research of new materials.

The Scuole Nazionali under CNSAS sector are:

– SCUOLA NAZIONALE TECNICI SOCCORSO ALPINO

– SCUOLA NAZIONALE TECNICI SOCCORSO SPELEO

– SCUOLA NAZIONALE MEDICI ALPINI

– SCUOLA NAZIONALE MEDICI SPELEO

– SCUOLA NAZIONALE UNITA’ CINOFILE 

– SCUOLA NAZIONALE DIRETTORI DELLE OPERAZIONI DI SOCCORSO

– SCUOLA NAZIONALE FORRE

– SCUOLA NAZIONALE SPELEO SUB

In this section are displayed the Italian Republic laws, indicating the Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico’s reference environment in case of emergencies (and also in case of natural calamities) which require interventions in hostile territories like rock faces, mountain paths, clefts and canyons, caves, artificial cavities and mountain lakes.

NATIONAL LAWS

Participation to the CNSAS is open to all Club Alpino Italiano members between the ages of 18 and 45 and the admission to the organization is subject to tests necessary to prove the requested requirements.

APPLICATION

It has to be submitted to the CNSAS Stazione’s person in charge and competent for its own territory, together with the resumé of mountain climbing or speleological activities related to the last two years and with a certificate of good health.

REQUISITES for ALPINE RESCUE

Movement ability on every mountain land, lead rock climbing (4°UIAA) and ice climbing (60°), skiing on every kind of snow.

REQUISITES for SPELEOLOGICAL RESCUE

Knowledge of climbing and movement techniques in caves, tooling ability and progression on a rope and in a meander.

    MEDAGLIA D’ORO AL VALORE CIVILE

«Nel solco di una secolare esperienza di soccorso in montagna, il personale del Corpo nazionale soccorso alpino e speleologico ha operato con eccezionale spirito di abnegazione e straordinaria generosità in aiuto sia di tutti coloro che si sono trovati in difficoltà, sia nel difficile compito di recupero delle vittime. La maggior parte degli interventi compiuti negli ultimi decenni, condotti con encomiabile perizia ed elevata professionalità e spesso in situazioni ambientali estreme, hanno suscitato l’incondizionata stima e la profonda riconoscenza della Nazione tutta^[18][19]»

ATTESTATO E MEDAGLIA DI BRONZO DORATA DI PUBBLICA BENEMERENZA DI I CLASSE DEL DIPARTIMENTO DELLA PROTEZIONE CIVILE

«Per la partecipazione all’evento sismico del 6 aprile 2009 in Abruzzo, in ragione dello straordinario contributo reso con l’impiego di risorse umane e strumentali per il superamento dell’emergenza.^[20][21][22]»

CNSAS statute