«I would like to thank the Calabria Region with its president, the regional director of Civil Protection, the consultant Miozzo for having accepted the national government’s proposal to hold the third Italian rally and the first in Southern Italy in Calabria», said the Minister for Civil Protection Nello Musumeci, upon his arrival at the University of Catanzaro where the third interregional civil protection gathering is underway. «Let’s bring together five regions – continued Musumeci – for a moment of discussion, analysis, also of community spirit, it is important to strengthen volunteering. Today more than in the past there is a need for prevention. And I believe that Calabria has confirmed itself on the front line, especially in the fight against forest fires, which is one of the calamities in the face of which structures are often forced to raise the white flag, not only in Italy, because it is under the eyes of all what happened in California, in Greece, in Spain, in Portugal. We must use preventive criteria and technology helps us a lot: the fact that in Calabria the use of drones has been tested as a prevention and deterrent – noted the Minister for Civil Protection – becomes an example that must also be imitated in the rest of Italy, therefore our appreciation, including that of the national Department Head, goes to this experience which also becomes a trailblazer”.
«I never tire of saying that climate change must not become an alibi for the lack of prevention in the past. We must work to prevent. We already know the prediction, but we have never done prevention. Prevention is better than reconstruction». Thus the Minister for Civil Protection Nello Musumeci, upon his arrival at the University of Catanzaro where the third interregional civil protection gathering is underway.
For Musumeci «it is necessary to start from schools to explain what the appropriate conduct is otherwise shedding tears over the milk that we have already spilled and that we can no longer recover becomes really difficult. Calabria has a fragile territoryvery fragile and complex, which means that if we study the 10-15 priority objectives on which to intervene, it will then be difficult to think that the calamities that we have experienced in Calabria but not only in Calabria in the last 10-20 years will recur.”
The initiative saw the participation of around 500 operators representing the regions of Calabria, Basilicata, Campania, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily. The event, promoted and organized by the national Department of Civil Protection – in collaboration with the Calabria Region -, which was held for two days at the Auditorium of the Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, was also attended by the Head of the National Department of Protection Civile, Fabio Ciciliano, the president of the Calabria Region, Roberto Occhiuto. Also present were the consultant to the Presidency, Agostino Miozzo and the general manager of the regional Civil Protection, Domenico Costarella.
On the first day, a series of round tables were held on various topics including: the civil protection system between operations and responsibility; the role of volunteering in the prevention and management of major natural and anthropogenic risks; the profiles of responsibility in the civil protection system in emergency management; territorial experiences with representatives of the southern regions. Sunday was instead characterized by training activities on topics relating to logistics and civil protection planning.
The event also offered interesting insights regarding new technologies and emergency tools. In this regard the “Zero Tolerance” operation was illustratedconceived and implemented by the Calabria Region with the aim of containing fires and monitoring the territory through the use of drones. A good practice that the national Civil Protection also wants to spread in the other Italian regions.
Occhiuto: “Happy that fire-fighting drones in Calabria are a model for the country”
«I am happy because the firefighting drone system, in which we have invested a lot of effort also thanks to the contribution of the forestry police, has become fundamental for monitoring the territory and is highly appreciated in Italy and Europe. It has not often happened in recent decades – added Occhiuto – that Calabria was highlighted for good practices. It is a highly positive fact that the drone system will become the heritage of the entire Italian Civil Protection and that other regions will replicate what has been done in Calabria”. Regarding hydrogeological instability, President Occhiuto said that «the Calabria Region is the only one in Italy to have approved the Plan for the mitigation of flood risks».
“The regional civil protection – the president of the region also underlined – could do very little without the contribution of the volunteers and associations that deal with this sector. The National Department Head recalled how difficult recruitment has become. This is why my council has arranged funding for contributions and resources. Associations must be put in a position to perform, having resources, tools and equipment available. A job that really makes the volunteers feel like mud angels.”
“The Civil Protection of Calabria – concluded President Occhiuto – also thanks to the efforts of the excellent general director Costarella, has carved out a space of great authority in the national civil protection. It is not the first time he has received important awards. Today is another extraordinary occasion for Calabria because it shows that our civil protection systems are highly appreciated at a national level”.
Ciciliano, Calabria is complex due to hydrogeological and seismic risk
«Calabria is a technically very complex region in terms of civil protection because it presents strong risks from a hydrogeological and seismic point of view». Thus Fabio Ciciliano, head of the national Department of Civil Protection, speaking to journalists in Catanzaro on the sidelines of the first interregional gathering of civil protection volunteers in Southern Italy, in the presence of Minister Nello Musumeci and Governor Roberto Occhiuto. «In particular, Calabria – added Ciciliano – is one of the most seismic regions in Italy and, consequently, the prevention and preparation activity of the civil protection systems is fundamental. The return here – said Ciciliano – is demonstrated by the fact that we are close to the Calabria Region and the world of Volunteering. Today we celebrate a moment in which operational moments are also foreseen. The prevention and preparation activities of Civil Protection systems are fundamental for the care of communities and we are also in favor of synergy between Regions, volunteers and countries at an international level. The reform of Civil Protection in Calabria is a very important thing, certainly an important step of renewal. The National Department is with the Calabria Region and the other regions in this synergy process”.