POZZUOLI – The first of the testing exercises was held this morning
the operating procedures to be adopted in the event of worsening of the phenomena
related to bradyseism.
The exercise began with a first alarm for a seismic swarm starting at 8.30 am, of magnitude 2.7, which was followed by an alert for a stronger shock at 10.13 am, when the report of a 4.3 degree earthquake detected in via Pisciarelli, Solfatara area.
The COC (Municipal Operations Centre), established at the headquarters of the Municipal Civil Protection, intensified contact with the Regional Operations Room, with the Civil Protection Department in Rome and with the Municipality of Bagnoli and the evacuation exercise began in one of the complexes of the Madonna Assunta School of Bagnoli. The school staff and students were accompanied to the collection point envisaged by the Institute’s emergency plan and, having completed the simulations of the technical checks and assessments of any damage to the building, they returned to school and resumed normal activities. .
“This morning’s exercise took place in an orderly and correct manner – they communicated from the Department of Civil Protection – no critical issues or gatherings were reported in the area of the Madonna Assunta School in Bagnoli which evacuated the school audience and gathered the students students at the scheduled collection point in approximately 5 minutes. Monday’s exercise will be followed by a further test, again within the procedures envisaged by the bradyseismic planning, which will be held on May 30th and 31st to verify the operational actions relating to the third scenario, the one in which it will be simulated that the deformations of the soil undergo an increase in lifting. Finally, a third and larger exercise is scheduled for October to test the operational response in the event of volcanic risk as part of the Campi Flegrei National Plan”.
“This is the first seismic risk exercise held in the area, thanks to the Campi Flegrei Decree approved in December. I am extremely satisfied – declared the mayor of Pozzuoli Gigi Manzoni – with the response given by the administration. In Pozzuoli we are used to managing low magnitude events without damage, and today’s was an important test. This morning we certainly detected some critical issues, but the exercises – continues Mayor Manzoni – serve precisely this purpose, to improve what is not perfect. On May 30th and 31st we will further refine the internal procedures and communication flows with the other parties involved for a level 3 scenario, which will involve the population. In October, however, we will carry out an eruption risk exercise, which will be an important test during which we will test the response of the population and the administrations to a possible evacuation of the city, an eventuality fortunately very far from us”
