The training indoor on 8th and 9th November was a success: 65 experts have been trained on “Prometheus system”. These experts from CNVVF coming from several regions of North, South, Centre of Italy (Calabria, Tuscany, Sicily, Campania, Lazio, Lombardy and Piedmont) as well as the Italian Red Cross and Civil Protection personnel joined the exercise on 10th and 11th November applying Prometheus in the field (App and web). In the exercise, about 150 firefighters were involved in the real site of Cavallerizzo di Cerzeto.
During the exercise on both days as well as during the debriefing, the system was greatly appreciated and congratulations for its characteristics were made to the whole staff. In particular, the training for the UCC in just 12 hours led to an independent use of Prometheus system during the emergency. Thus, the UCC become the reference repository to follow the emergency and have a clear picture of it. Assessment and SAR operations using Prometheus have reached the goal to have data on real time, complete and quick (reducing time of intervention). Additionally, Prometheus was widely considered user-friendly so as covering a lack of data management system for USAR operations.
The success of this first national application in a so prone to earthquakes country, as Italy is, made a pivotal role in the spreading of the system. Lastly, the presence of the Chief Commander of CNVVF and Head of Department of firefighters, public rescue and civil defense, as well as local authorities, the representatives of Armed forces as well as volunteers (Red Cross, Angeli della Sila, Edelweiss) made the event relevant and largely disseminated in the media (at local, regional, national levels). Interest to use and step-up Prometheus also for the medical activities of the Red Cross and military interventions in CP emergency has been expressed to the project core staff.
Furthermore, the exercise made known the site of Cerzeto and its community that, along with the mayor, supports the possibility to be used for field training and exercises. People of Cerzeto pro-actively supported CNVVF and Prometheus staff to carry out the exercise also by in-kind services offered toward a common objective: enhancing the site hit by a landslide to have a second life and being useful to improve the management of the emergencies in future.
