[Exercise] Mesimex - Major Emergency SIMulation EXcercise-on volcanic risk
The exercise was based on a major disaster which requires special means and executive powers ensured by the National Civil Protection System.
The exercise involved 18 Municipalities densely populated and located along the Vesuvius’ slopes. Vesuvius, although presently inactive, is one of the most hazardous risk volcano in the world.
Mesimex's scenario dealt with the simulation of the Vesuvius's reactivation, from the early warning phase up to the final evacuation of a sample of 2thousand people from the area at risk, as established by the Emergency Plan.
The exercise focused on the preparatory phase, whereas the actual eruptive phase was not simulated. All planned actions needed to be carried out and coordinated at national and international level before the eruption took place.
The exercise main objectives lied in the National civil protection system's readiness and effective response, as well as the testing of Vesuvius's Emergency Plan and the intervention procedures addressing the artistic and cultural patrimony's preservation in the area at risk.
Within the international framework, besides testing the Civil Protection Mechanism's procedures, Mesimex's simulation exercise tested for the first time the efficiency of the Member States' response by activating and deploying Volcano Expert Teams (VET) and Foreigners Assistance and Support Team (FAST).
Considering the difficulties arisen in the recent international emergencies, VET's duty was supported by the Civil Protection System's technical -scientific staff in relation to the volcano's activity monitoring procedures and the interpretation of precursory phenomena.
The introduction of the Foreigners Assistance and Support Teams FAST aimed to verify the identification capabilities, to assist and evacuate those European and foreign citizens present at the time and place at risk.
This exercise included the participation of all the national civil protection structures and the ones from four EU Member States - France Spain, Portugal and Sweden - which contributed to the planning phase and who sent their experts on location during the simulation.
Observers from all other European Union Member States, from European Union Candidate Countries, from the Countries within the European Economic Area, from the Extra-European countries and from International Organizations such as NATO, as well as the United Nations' Agencies assisted to the simulation for the purpose of comparing, evaluating and sharing the experience and methods with all the staff members operating on the field.
Further information at www.protezionecivile.it/cms/mesimex.
(CEF)
