Aib Campaign 2013: technical-organizative meeting at the Department

A technical meeting was held today at the headquarters of the Civil Protection Department to share strategies and objectives of the next campaign Aib-Fire Forest, 2013, in the light of the new structure of the National air fleet, greatly reduced in numbers, and the transfer of the same from Civil Protection Department to the National Fire, Public Rescue and Civil Defense Department. Representatives of the Regions and Autonomous Provinces, the Fire Department, the State Forestry Department and other government departments and operating units involved in various capacities in the fight against forest fires took part to the meeting.

The framework law on forest fires entrusted to the Regions the responsibility for prediction, prevention and active firefighting, whereas the State has competence on addressing and coordinating such activities. In particular, the Civil Protection Department, through the COAU-Joint Air Operations Centre, is entrusted with the coordination of the National firefighting air fleet.

In the opening session the Head of Department Franco Gabrielli emphasized the limited possibility of intervention of the air fleet and the possible effects on the capacity for action of the entire system. Against the array of the National fire-fighting aircraft greatly reduced, deployments of regional aircraft fleets will become essential - the Head of Department has underlined -, as well as conventions and twinning arrangements between the same regions to share resources and aircraft.

The meeting was therefore an important opportunity for discussion on the organization and the availability of means of individual regions. The coordination between State and Regions has been confirmed as one of the central issues for the efficient utilization of the fleet, as well as to the strengthening of the system of communication between regional rooms(Cor-Regional Operative Centre and Soup-Permanent Unified Operations Room) and the Department’s COAU.

Deployment of the Aib fleet 2013 and 2012 data. In view of the countryside forest fire in 2013 - which will begin around the middle of June and ends in late September - a total of 15 aircrafts will be deployed on six airports in the period of maximum attention in July and August. The structure of the fleet will still be reformulated on the basis of regional coalitions and the findings of today’s meeting.
Data concerning the2012 campaign Aib showed a season on the average of recent years regarding the number of fires, but above the average for the total area affected by fire, increased by almost 38% compared to 2011. Even the requests of aerial involvement arrived to COAU by the regions have increased by 30%, as well as the missions of the means (plus 20%), flight hours (more than 27%) and the drops of water and retardant. The largest number of requests came from south-central regions, especially Sicily (380), Calabria (283), Lazio (263) and Campania (260).