Exercise

The national exercise “EXE PO 2026” is aimed at testing, both in the field and at command posts, the National Civil Protection Service’s response to an extraordinary flood event on the Po River. The exercise scenario is based on the historic flood that struck the northwestern part of the country in October 2000.

System coordination. This exercise is an important opportunity to test, on an interregional level, the management of hydrogeological and hydraulic risks throughout the entire Po River basin. It will assess communication flows, alert systems, and response models at various territorial levels, while also analyzing interoperability in coordination activities among the involved regions (Piemonte, Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto). The exercise also involves the activation of specific coordination structures for flood management, including the UCC—the Po River Basin Command and Control Unit—which will be tested for the first time during this exercise.

Operational scenarios. Several simulated operational scenarios will be carried out in the field: from the deployment of mobile columns of civil protection volunteers to the mobilization of technical experts tasked with assessing potential damage to buildings, infrastructure, and strategic networks. To address the most critical flood scenarios, the use of water pumps and drones to monitor riverbanks is also planned. The exercise also marks the start of a process aimed at the future approval of a high-pumping-capacity (HPC) module for Emilia-Romagna, whose equipment and staff will be tested in the province of Piacenza (Isola Giarola), with the support of Piemonte and Lombardia operating as Regional Mobile Columns.

Activities to assist the population. Additional tests focus on rescue and assistance for the population, with particular attention to the most vulnerable groups. Among these, the Bologna and Poggio Rusco (MN) train stations will serve as the setting for the transportation of a healthcare train, which—through the use of actors—will simulate the safe transfer of patients evacuated from Pieve di Coriano Hospital (MN). During “EXE PO 2026,” activities aimed at protecting animals will also be tested.

The IT-alert test. The exercise involves activating the national public warning system, IT-alert, regarding the specific risk of large dam failures. It will take place on two separate days in the area of the Porto della Torre Dam (VA), located along the Ticino River on the border between Piemonte and Lombardia, between the municipalities of Somma Lombardo (VA) and Varallo Pombia (NO); and in the area of the Salionze Dam, located along the Mincio River in Lombardia, in the municipality of Valeggio sul Mincio, in the province of Mantova.

Risk awareness activities. With the aim of promoting greater understanding of the specific risk and broader awareness of the local response system, meetings were organized—in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Region of Lombardia, and the Province of Cremona—to provide information to foreign communities living in the floodplain areas of the Cremona region. A booklet was also produced, translated into 12 languages by a local school, and subsequently distributed to participants.

Finally, “EXE PO 2026” represents an important training opportunity for civil protection personnel, technicians, and volunteers, as well as a chance to raise awareness among residents in the areas adjacent to the Po River about the proper behaviors to adopt in the event of a flood, in order to protect themselves and their community.