Rescuers from Three Regions Conduct Training in Odesa’s Underground Catacombs

Joint Rescue Training Exercise

According to ДСНС: Emergency teams from Odesa, Ternopil, and the Lviv-based Main Rescue Center of the State Emergency Service carried out a collaborative training mission inside the Nerubaiske catacombs in the Odesa region. These underground tunnels, part of a vast limestone network, present unique challenges for first responders.

Key Training Focus Areas

During the exercise, participants worked on:

• fundamentals of speleology;
• map-based navigation;
• underground safety protocols.

A critical part of the drill involved setting up specialized wired communication lines, as standard mobile networks do not function underground. Teams also coordinated search groups and practiced providing pre-medical care in confined spaces. The training concluded with the evacuation of simulated casualties to the surface using specialized rescue stretchers.

These joint exercises help improve the readiness of rescue services to handle unconventional emergencies. Training in confined subterranean environments is a vital step in enhancing the professional skills of responders, which may prove essential during real-life crises. Involving multiple regions in such drills highlights the importance of inter-agency cooperation and the exchange of expertise among different rescue units.

In a similar effort to enhance operational readiness, Vinnytsia rescue teams recently completed a two-week high-altitude training program. These exercises are crucial for developing skills that can be applied in various emergency situations, much like the underground training in Odesa. To learn more about how different regions are preparing their rescue services, check out the details of their high-altitude training here.