Civil Protection Department

Wood fires: summer campaign ended on 30 September

AIB 2011 wood fires campaign ended with a ceremony held at the Civil Protection Department on 5 October. Staff of the Civil Protection Department and of the National Forestry Corps involved in prevision, prevention and active fight against fires took part to the event.

Interventions. The National Air fleet, working in the whole national territory, guarantees a support to Regions and Autonomous Provinces in fire-fighting. From 15 June 1,354 requests were received by Coau - Joint Air Operations Centre of the Civil Protection Department, a meaningful increase compared to 2010, due to the prolonged drought and temperatures higher than the seasonal average, for many consecutive days.

Sicily, Campania, Calabria, Lazio and Sardinia are the Regions that, during summer, received the biggest number of interventions of the National air fleet. In total, missions of Canadairs and helicopters coordinated by Coau reached a figure of 3,629 between 15 June and 30 September, with 7,779.38 flying hourse and 30,494 drops of extinguishing liquid.

The ceremony. During the meeting, the Head of Department Franco Gabrielli underlined the need of a major integration in the sector between National administrations and structures of Regions and Autonomous Provinces.

Eleven pilots who worked during the intervention at Samara Park in the Russian Federation - where the Department participated with two Canadairs CL – 145 in August 2010 - received a certificate of the President of the local assembly of Togliatti, A.I. Zverev.

General S.A. Gianfranco Trinca, Director of the Air Force Activities Office, also underlined that operating structures and Coau's level of attention remains high also after 30 September, closing date of AIB 2011campaign, due to the particular weather conditions.