The swearing-in ceremony of a contingent of students of the 100th training course took place this morning, starting at 10.30 am, at the Regional Multifunctional Fire Brigade Center of Lamezia Terme.
The event was chaired by the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of the Interior, the Hon. Wanda Ferro, welcomed by the regional director of the Fire Brigade for Calabria, general manager Maurizio Lucia.
The ceremony was attended by, among others, the prefect of Catanzaro, Castrese De Rosa, the mayor of Lamezia Terme, Mario Murone, the police commissioner of Catanzaro, Giuseppe Linares, the commander of the Calabria Carabinieri Legion, gen. Riccardo Sciuto, the regional commander of the Guardia di Finanza, gen. Gianluigi D’Alfonso, and the commander of the Calabria Army Military Command, col. Ugo Gaeta.
Also present were all the provincial commanders and managers of the Fire Brigade operating in the regional territory.
The day opened with a particularly touching moment for the young firefighters and their families: the blessing of the helmets, given by Msgr. Tommaso Buccafurni, vicar general of the diocese of Lamezia Terme, followed by the “change of badge”.
A family member for each student in fact removed the “Probationary Firefighter” badge from the uniform, replacing it with the “Firefighter” badge, in an atmosphere of strong emotion and pride.
During his speech, the regional director Maurizio Lucia underlined the importance of the day for the Lamezzo Training Center, highlighting how it is not usual for the swearing-in ceremony to be held in a location other than the main one in Rome.
Due to the coincidence with the regional elections in Calabria, in fact, the Central Administration allowed the 56 Calabrian units of the 100th course to take the oath in Lamezia Terme, in video connection with the Central Fire Schools of Rome-Capannelle, where the other 722 students were located, in the presence of the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi, the head of the department Attilio Visconti and the head of the National Corps Eros Mannino.
In total, 28 police officers were sworn in in Lamezia Terme, while 722 were sworn in in Rome.
Lucia recalled how the oath does not represent a mere formal fulfillment, but a solemn commitment to the Republic and the Constitution, an act of loyalty to the principles of legality, honor and public service. He then highlighted the complexity of the training course, which lasted nine months, and the importance of continuous training throughout the entire career.
Finally, the director urged the new firefighters to take up “the baton” from those who preceded them, carrying on with dedication and courage a profession as difficult as it is noble: “Ours is a hard and often risky job, but capable of giving indescribable emotions, like those you feel when you save a human life”.
In her speech, Undersecretary Wanda Ferro expressed words of great appreciation for the National Fire Brigade and for the service it carries out daily “with courage, altruism, spirit of service and sense of community”.
Addressing the new police officers, Ferro recalled that “this day will remain engraved in your life: the oath marks the end of an intense training course and the beginning of a new responsibility. Never forget that training is a journey that never stops”.
The undersecretary also highlighted the role of excellence of the Regional Multifunctional Center of Lamezia Terme, home to the first Italian school for Directors of Fire Extinguishing Operations (DOS), which in the last 15 years has trained over 1,200 firefighters from all over Italy.
In the last year, six regional and national courses were held at the Center for approximately 160 participants, in addition to training activities for students of the 99th, 100th and 101st courses, for a total of approximately 150 students.
Ferro concluded by reminding the new firefighters of the importance of team spirit: “Look at the person next to you: he will be your first ally in emergency situations. Today you become part of a Corps with a glorious history, which will continue to live on thanks to your commitment and dedication”.