Mountain safety: how the GeoResQ app works, usable by everyone

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Thanks to the extraordinary funds allocated by the Ministry of Tourism and the collaboration with the Italian Alpine Club (Cai) and the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps, the GeoResQ app (www.georesq.it), dedicated to mountain activities, can send a request of help when you are in danger and need help, it is renewed and becomes free, usable by everyone. The app has been made simpler to use and more efficient both when tracking one’s track and in the event of an emergency, to sound the alarm and get in direct contact with the Alpine and Speleological Rescue.
«Until now, the use of GeoResQ was free only for CAI members – explains Antonio Montani, General President of the Italian Alpine Club -. Thanks to MiTur funds, today we are able to offer a real public service to all those who frequent mountain areas. On the paths and on the walls, however, total safety does not exist, this app must therefore support training and the necessary assessments of one’s own abilities and the dangers inherent in an environment that has not been domesticated by man». For her part Daniela Santanchè, Minister of Tourism adds: «Making the GeoResQ app free means putting safety first to guarantee everyone the opportunity to enjoy mountain activities with full awareness of having a direct line with rescuers in case of need. Investing in safety is an essential prerogative, which we have also included among the pillars of the 2023-2027 Strategic Tourism Plan, just as there is no doubt the Mitur’s commitment to investing in mountain tourism, a highly attractive segment of the sector, especially in terms of sustainable development and seasonal adjustment».

How the app works

The app makes one think of a “brother” who accompanies hikes in the mountains because it tracks the hikers’ route in real time, stores and archives them. In the event of an emergency, the app sends the alarm and the request for help to the emergency centre. In case of urgent need for assistance, in the mountains, in caves and in impervious environments, the app provides immediate geolocation. For example, if you have lost your way or for various reasons, fog, darkness or bad weather you don’t know where you are, in the event of an accident or a fall that compromises your ability to move and your health. The GeoResQ operations centers are located in Sassari, in Sardinia (historic center), and in Cassano Irpino (AV), in Campania. In the operations centres, active 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, CNSAS operators with specific training work shifts. The alarm that reaches the control unit is taken over and forwarded to the local Alpine and Speleological Rescue and through the NUE112, where active, or the Health Urgency Emergency control units, emergency management is started. Integration with regional NUE112 systems is being studied and soon there will be news on satellite communication.

By 2023, the Nue 112, Single European Emergency Number 112, will be active in all Italian regions, with a model for responding to requests for intervention that unifies the emergency numbers. Pursuant to Law 74/2001, the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps integrates into the NUE 112 system, is responsible for carrying out and implementing a public utility service in mountainous, underground and impervious environments, works in close coordination with the Regional Health Services and in collaboration with other State bodies. We are working to integrate GeoResQ with the IT procedures of the regional NUE112 systems to ensure maximum efficiency in alarm management. The app, launched by the CAI and the CNSAS in 2013, today has over 220,000 downloads and 82,000 active users each year and a total of 1,322 emergency calls, 578 Alpine Rescue interventions and 740,000 tracks saved by users during their excursions. The app is routinely used by hikers and outdoor enthusiasts throughout the year.

Maurizio Dellantonio, President of the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps explains: «In 10 years of use, the GeoResQ app has made the difference on over 550 rescue interventions and has established itself as an important tool for all those who frequent the mountain environment . These important innovations make it more and more an indispensable app for anyone who decides to frequent our mountains. As always, technology can never replace the technical skills and prudence that each of us must have to enjoy our excursions in peace, but GeoResQ is undoubtedly a valid help both during the summer and in the winter».
Alessandro Molinu, Vice-President of CNSAS and responsible for the GeoResQ project, highlights how this latest update allows the application «to make a concrete and tangible quality leap for our users, while continuing to preserve ease of use and reliability in handling distress calls.