On September 8 ended in Dobbiaco (BZ) with the press event, the international exercise, interforce and search and rescue interventions "Grifone 2017", planned and conducted annually by the Italian Air Force as part of the agreement cooperation between Italy, France and Spain in the field of air search and rescue called SAR.Med.Occ. (Search and Rescue Western Mediterranean).
The main purpose of the exercise was to consolidate the training of the personnel of the Italian and foreign Air Relief Departments of the Air Rescue, the Coordination Centers and the Ground Squads to the management of search and rescue operations in the difficult mountain environment, both day by day, encouraging mutual knowledge and the development of common procedures.
"Putting together the skills acquired and consolidated over the years developing a unique language in the field of research and rescue, for the common good", these are the words of Colonel Alfonso Cipriano, director of the exercise, on the occasion of the Media Day conclusive.
Italian Army, Air Force, Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza, State Police, Fire Brigade, National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps and Alpine Rescue Service of Sudtirol (Bergrettungsdienst im alpenverein sudtirol), Voluntary Auxiliary Corps of the Italian Red Cross, Armée de l'Air (France), Prefecture of Bolzano, Civil Defense and 118, from 4 to 8 September trained together in the Dolomites Mountains, in the Autonomous Region of Trentino Alto Adige, with one goal: to increase knowledge and standardization of common search and rescue procedures to save lives.
The Air Operations Command and Control was managed by a team from the Rescue Coordination Center of the Air Operations Command of Poggio Renatico (FE). Logistic planning was instead entrusted to the Italian Air Force Logistics Command which, thanks to the various employee divisions involved, tested its ability to quickly deploy personnel, vehicles and infrastructures in the place of operations. In this context, the 3rd wing of Villafranca (VR), with the contribution of the 4th telecommunications and systems brigade for air defense and flight assistance from Borgo Piave (LT), the 3rd division and the support service of the logistic command of the AM (RM), realized on the field of the airport detachment of Dobbiaco (BZ), which provided a fundamental logistic support, a Advanced Base Station (PBA), that is a small airport equipped with all the necessary services for flight assistance and management of operations, from command and control field structures, to mobile communication systems passing through the mobile weather station, the control tower mobile, refueling services, fire prevention and marshalling services. Within the installation a Advanced Medical Place (PMA) multi-agency in which he worked health personnel of the 3 ° sormo of Villafranca and the Auxiliary Corps of volunteer nurses of the Italian Red Cross with functions both within the exercise scenario and as a first aid in case of real needs.
News of the "Grifone 2017" the participation of an inter-agency and inter-agency Go Team led by personnel of the Flight Safety Inspectorate of the AM (group of investigators immediately riskable) who investigated the causes of the simulated plane crash. The investigative activity was supported by the work of the "Riflemen of the Air" of the 9th and 16th wing, responsible for securing the area of the accident and by Environmental Assessment Service which carried out chemical / physical checks in the environment affected by the accident.
On the last day of the exercise, in which a real search and rescue demonstration was organized using helicopters and ground rescue teams, the prefect government commissioner dr. Vito Cusumano of the prefecture of Bolzano, the national president of the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps, dr. Maurizio Dellantonio and the deputy mayor of Dobbiaco, dr. Martin Rienzner, who wanted to sanction the importance of a training event that involves numerous realities of the country system in the field of search and rescue.
