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The “SEAcurity” civil protection project has started. The safety of citizens on the coast and on the sea”, which arises from the collaboration between the Regional Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, the Maritime Directorate of Puglia and Basilicata, the Bathing Establishments Association – ASBA. and the National Department of Civil Protection. The project aims to increase awareness of the risks, whether natural or caused by human activity, to which one may be exposed during a day on the beach, promoting effective behaviors and actions to prevent them or reduce their negative consequences.
The pilot municipality for the entire summer season will be Margherita di Savoia (BT), where yesterday morning the project was illustrated in the presence of the director of the Regional Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, Nicola Lopane, of the Rear Admiral (CP) Vincenzo Leone, maritime director of Puglia and Basilicata Jonica, by Maurizio Bruno, president of the Permanent Committee of Civil Protection, by Antonio Capacchione, president of ASBA Margherita di Savoia, by Francesca Santobuono, councilor for Budget and Tourism of the Municipality of Margherita di Savoia, with remote participation by Titti Postiglione, deputy head of the National Civil Protection Department.
Yesterday, Friday 14 June, as the first day, the officials of the Puglia Civil Protection and the volunteers active in the “I don’t risk” project held a mini-course for the managers of the city’s beaches to raise their awareness of all the potential risks that can affect coastal areas, such as floods or storm surges, weather risk (thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds) and tsunamis, in order to protect the population of bathers from possible damage, safeguarding human life.
Along the coasts there are numerous situations of potential danger for the natural environment, for urban settlements or for human life, which must be correctly identified and, where possible, foreseen, in order to reduce the risk. Risk management can be addressed with the warning tools provided by the Civil Protection, but above all by combining the capacity for prediction and prevention with the good practices to be adopted in the event of an event to safeguard life.
In order to spread good practices, two information points have been set up on the seafront of Margherita di Savoia dedicated to the meeting of Civil Protection volunteers with citizens as part of the “Io Non Rischio 365” project, an initiative that will be repeated in the following days. July 13th and August 8th. Furthermore, the “SEAcurity” project proposes the dissemination of a scannable QR code on the beaches which links to the website page https://protezionecivile.puglia.it/home where you can consult the daily criticality bulletins, alert messages and regulations of self-protection with integration of the advice of the Coast Guard-Port Authority on responsible behavior to be observed at sea and on the beaches, remembering that 1530 is the toll-free number for emergencies at sea https://protezionecivile.puglia.it/seacurity
“This project, which arises from the thematic tables of the Regional Day of the Coast, promotes the Puglia Region as one of the most attentive to the safety of citizens, holidaymakers and tourists, an added value which allows even more the valorisation of the historical, naturalistic and food and wine of our land, enhancing its beauty and increasing its tourist attractiveness – said Nicola Lopane, director of the Puglia Civil Protection Department -. Together with the Maritime Directorate of Puglia and Basilicata we want to promote conscious use of the beach and the sea. Naturally, the ‘SEAcurity’ project is applicable to the entire Apulian coast, since beach managers and municipal administrations can activate the QR code and disseminate the materials necessary to understand the risks and self-protection rules on the beach and at sea. The regional Department of Civil Protection is available to anyone who wants to delve deeper into these issues and host the ‘I don’t risk’ gazebos.”
“SEAcurity is a beautiful acronym that we invented with the regional Civil Protection – declared Rear Admiral (CP) Vincenzo Leone, maritime director of Puglia and Basilicata Jonica -. On April 10, on the occasion of Regional Coast Day, we promised ourselves to fill this project with content together with the Puglia Region and coastal stakeholders. We therefore wanted to develop an even stronger relationship with the Civil Protection to combine indications on the safety of citizens both on land and at sea, so as not to have barriers or limits because safety is a topic that has no borders. In summer we often find that extreme and sudden climatic events can lead to risky situations. Then we must learn to prepare, considering the citizen as an active subject of civil protection, because safety is everyone’s commitment. The summer season is starting, we have large numbers that will surely occupy our beaches. Puglia is ready.”
“I want to underline – said Maurizio Bruno, president of the Permanent Committee of Civil Protection – the ability of the regional Department of Civil Protection and its officials to develop innovative projects aimed at raising awareness of risks and self-protection rules. Their ability to work on the professionalism of volunteers, boys and girls, is fundamental to the success of these projects. And finally their ability to involve and empower local authorities who have finally discovered the importance of municipal civil protection plans. We work in perfect synergy for the safety of citizens and, in this case, of tourists in Puglia.”
“The ‘Seacurity’ project was born from the synergy between the Regional Maritime Directorate, the Civil Protection, the Coast Guard, the municipal administration of Margherita di Savoia and the Bathing Union. The main purpose is precisely safety – declared Francesca Santobuono, Councilor for Budget and Tourism of Margherita di Savoia -, in this particular case the safety of tourists on the beach who, due to sudden and sudden climate changes, may find themselves faced with extreme phenomena such as thunderstorms, hailstorms and tornadoes. Knowing how to correctly deal with dangerous situations is the objective of the ‘I don’t risk’ prevention campaign in which the best practices for dealing with such events are indicated. The city of Margherita di Savoia with the managers of the beach establishments is proud to be the starting point of the ‘Seacurity’ project, prevention and safety always in first place to guarantee tourists a peaceful stay on our beaches. Special thanks to the volunteers who will be available to citizens today 15 June, 13 July and 8 August in the ‘I don’t take risks’ information points on the Margherita di Savoia seafront.”
“We are honored to collaborate with the Civil Protection and the Maritime Directorate on this very important project because it improves safety on the beach during the summer period. Millions of people are on our coasts, so it is appropriate to equip ourselves to combat these extreme phenomena which constitute a serious risk”, added Antonio Capacchione of the Beach Establishments Association – ASBA.
“We are inaugurating an innovative project that the Puglia Civil Protection proposed and which the National Department immediately supported – underlined Titti Postiglione, deputy head of the National Civil Protection Department – because it has the dual purpose of protecting human life and the good common and to enhance the wonderful heritage that is your coasts. It also sees the full synergy of forces that collaborate daily for the safety of citizens, i.e. Civil Protection, Coast Guard/Port Authorities and Municipalities. An interesting novelty is the public-private collaboration, with the involvement of the beach managers, demonstrating that the Civil Protection System allows the participation of anyone who wants to contribute with their experience and expertise. It is a project that will make holidays in Puglia safer and more responsible and which could be extended to other coastal regions.”
