In recent days, the international exercise on the hydraulic risk called NEIFLEX (North Eastern Italy Flood Exercise) has ended, which has seen, in addition to the 1400 men and women of the Civil Protection, also 120 soldiers of the Italian Army engaged in coordination and use of military assets made available. The exercise, based on a scenario that envisaged the flooding of two important rivers in eastern Veneto (Livenza and Tagliamento), made it possible to verify the methods of civil-military cooperation, testing the procedures planned in this type of activity, the times and methods of activation of the emergency management centers as well as of the Genio departments for specialist interventions. The activity started with the activation of DI.COMA.C. (Direction of Command and Control) located in the Civil Protection Office of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region where the Italian Army was represented by the general of the army corps Amedeo Sperotto, commander of the Support Terrestrial Operating Forces.
For three official days of the Northern Operation Force Command of Padua were seconded to the DI.COMA.C. from where they coordinated the liaison officers at the prefectures of Treviso, Venice, Pordenone, Udine, the Un.Pu.Ca. (public calamity unit) of the 3rd Engineer Regiment of Udine. In particular, the Un.Pu.Ca. were called to intervene in a high-capacity pumping with the simultaneous transport of materials for strengthening and in an action to rescue people who were isolated, following the flood, with pneumatic boats in a context of coordination with the staff of the Civil Protection, Fire Brigade and staff of local health companies.
The exercise also saw the participation of 250 experts from the intervention teams of the European Civil Protection Mechanism from Austria and Slovenia and from observers from Montenegro, Serbia, and the Russian Federation. Personnel that was hosted at the "L. Capitò" Barracks, headquarters of the 5th Superga land artillery regiment rocket launcher, a unit that provided logistical support to all civil protection personnel involved in the activity. This support has in fact simulated another task of the armed forces in the context of emergency events: to make available their logistic structures that can be used as massing areas for rescuers and storage areas for vehicles, equipment and goods and housing assistance. the urgency of the populations. Dr. Angelo Borrelli, head of the Civil Protection Department, during a visit to the "L. Capitò" Barracks, expressed his applause towards the Army and the regiment in particular for the remarkable and effective support provided to the national staff and international civil protection involved in the exercise.
