Rescue
Spéléo-secours français
The cave rescue commission of the French Speleological Federation (FFS), created in 1977 and approved by the French civil protection authorities for underground rescue, including in flooded cavities.
The Spéléo-secours français is a specialised commission of the Fédération française de spéléologie, created in 1977, whose rescue teams are made up of federation volunteers [1]. The federation states that the SSF holds civil protection (Sécurité Civile) approval for rescue operations in natural or artificial underground cavities, whether flooded or open to the air, and lists a training course in diving rescue ('plongée secours') [1].
The federation's page gives a free phone number, 0800 121 123, for underground accidents [1]. That number applies to France and is quoted here from the FFS page as checked on 2026-10-14; in any emergency the national emergency services remain the first call.
Further reading
Every fact on this page, with its source (3)
| Fact | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The SSF was created in 1977 as a specialised commission of the French Speleological Federation. | Verified | [1] |
| The SSF is approved by Sécurité Civile for underground rescue in natural or artificial cavities, flooded or not. | Verified | [1] |
| The FFS page gives 0800 121 123 as a free number for underground accidents.Jurisdiction: France. Source: ffspeleo.fr/secours.html, checked 2026-10-14. The SSF's own site could not be reached on that date. | Verified | [1] |
Verified: stated by an official or primary source we opened. Reported: from a secondary source only. Sources conflict: the note gives both versions. May be out of date: the newest source we found is old.
Written in our own words from the sources above. Report a correction