Dossier
"Chimera 2" civil protection drill
An extremely heavy rainfall is in progress in the whole of Valdichiana and Valtiberina, making the level of the waters to rise rapidly in the streams Bicchieraia and Castro as well as those in the Tiber Basin, exceeding the danger levels in a very short time. The weather forecasts indicate persistent rainfall and a deterioration in weather conditions throughout the province. This is the initial scenario of the “Chimera 2” Civil Protection drill, carried out in the Province of Arezzo area from 20 to 23 November 2008.
The simulation concerns a hydrogeological type of event with characteristics suffice to affect the entire province of Arezzo and entails the activation of the Inter-municipal Civil Protection Centres, the Provincial Operations Room and the Regional Mobile Column of the civil protection Voluntary Service.
The purpose of “Chimera 2” is to check the activation efficiency of all the operational Centres and Organizations in the Arezzo province in emergencies and to put their ability to coordinate and rapidly exchange information to test.
The drill was furthermore aimed at testing the Provincial Integrated Plan and the Civil Protection Inter-municipal Plans which represent a starting point for achieving an orderly efficient response from the Civil Protection System in a disastrous event.
Special attention is also focused on checking the effectiveness of the voluntary service, such as the time needed to activate the Regional Mobile Column, to set up a base camp and the ability to use the equipment and materials.
“Chimera 2” is not only an occasion for field practice tests, but also includes educational activities and moments to weigh the pros and cons in programming meetings with civil protections in other countries, with the scope of building up a shared European model centred on the principles of prevision, prevention, management and solution in emergencies.
The Province of Arezzo, in liaison with the Arezzo Provincial Council and V.O.C.I.S. (Volunteers for international development cooperation) has in fact organized a system of partnerships and cooperation for a coordinated management of civil protection activities with five Bosnian municipalities, located in the Spreca Valley and in the Srebrenica area, for questions regarding preventive actions and response to disastrous events and emergencies. The idea of this project called "Pet Roboris" is to build up an integrated civil protection mechanism, of utility and consistent to the specific characteristics of the territory, community and organizations concerned in Bosnia Herzegovina.
The project is of major importance as three Municipalities belong to the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina (Doboj Istok, Gracanica and Lukavac) and two to the Srpska Republic (Doboj and Petrovo). Overcoming clashes between the two ethnic groups and the current tension, the mayors decided to cooperate with the intent and objective of coordinating their civil protection actions beyond the institutional borders and to encourage cultural exchange and inter-ethnical cooperation amongst the populations.
An education seminar was organized from 18 to 23 November 2008 in Arezzo during the "Chimera 2" drill, attended by top officials and experts from the five municipalities.
The organization of civil protection, forest fire fighting and volunteer services in the Province of Arezzo were illustrated during the seminar; a visit was paid to the Regional Operations Room, and the Bosnian delegates joined the operational activities as observers during the days scheduled for the exercise.
An international conference was also organized for the afternoon of 22 November, sponsored by the Directorate General for Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by the National Department of Civil Protection, to discuss the project and possibility for development in the Balkan area.
The purpose of the Meeting was to lay the foundations for greater coordination between the volunteer service and National Civil Protection Service, in general, and the various European centres and associations engaged in the project, in order to reach a common model centred on the principles of prevision, prevention, management and solution in emergencies.
The final ceremony was held on Sunday 23 November 2008 at the Business and Conference Centre - via Spallanzani, 23 – Arezzo.
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