June 25, 2024, 11:54 am
2 min read
PALERMO – The collaboration between the Sicilian Region and the firefighters has been renewed against forest fires on the island through regional funding to strengthen additional firefighting teams. The agreement has been signed which will remain operational until Friday 13 September for actions both to prevent and combat fires. The financial commitment for the administration is 2.5 million euros.
“This year too – says president Renato Schifani – we have renewed the agreement with the National Fire Brigade for stronger and more synergistic action against forest fires. More resources have been committed which will allow us to strengthen the presence of personnel and vehicles, making it more widespread across the territory, especially in the places furthest from the detachments”.
“In this context – continues the president – we have extended the duration of the firefighting campaign from 15 May to 31 October and we can count, as a region, on 120 new vehicles and 190 stations of the Forestry Corps and on over 300 teams of Civil Protection volunteers with an additional supply of a further 70 vehicles. In the meantime, the project of the single regional control room for emergencies continues which from next year will unite the Civil Protection and Forestry Corps forces, also with the use of cutting-edge systems for monitoring the territory with a synergistic prevention perspective ”.
The teams on the field
In 2023 there were 14 additional teams involved, this year they become 19 with a workforce of 116 people. In particular, the new stations activated will be in Ragalna (Catania), Piazza Armerina (Enna), Santo Stefano di Camastra (Messina), Custonaci and Pantelleria (Trapani) which are added to those in Agrigento and Cammarata, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina and Vulcano, Palermo, Montemaggiore Belsito and Ustica, Ragusa, Syracuse, Trapani and Favignana. All units, made up of five elements each, will be operational from 8am to 8pm, while in Ustica, Vulcano and Pantelleria 24 hours a day (from 1st to 31st August).
To sign the agreement, for the Region, the councilor for Territory and Environment, Elena Pagana, the head of Civil Protection, Salvo Cocina, the commander of the Forestry Corps, Giuseppe Battaglia; for the Ministry of the Interior, the deputy prefect of Palermo, Anna Aurora Colosimo; for the national fire brigade, the regional director Gaetano Vallefuoco.
The objectives of the agreement
Among the objectives of the agreement that of limiting the onset of damage to the natural heritage and assets, of contributing to the safety of the community and of strengthening the coordination structures involved, in particular the permanent unified operations room of the Region.
Shutdown operations they will be coordinated by the Forestry Corps and the Fire Brigade with the support of the volunteer firefighting teams trained, equipped and subsidized, also for consumption costs, by the regional Civil Protection department. These teams will be able to intervene directly in cases of small outbreaks.
Published on
June 25, 2024, 11:54 am
