Intermunicipal Civil Protection Conferences Boost Community Safety

Promoting the culture of Civil Protection and safety among the public, and especially encouraging closer interactions between the security system and citizens; with these objectives, the Intermunicipal Civil Protection Service, which includes the municipalities of lower Garda and inland areas (with an operational headquarters in Lugana Marina di Sirmione), has organized a series of conferences with the contribution of the Volunteers of Garda.

One meeting per month, from February until mid-June. The first meeting, hosted by the Palazzo del Turismo di Desenzano, focused on discussing the meaning of civil protection. Many authorities attended the event, which is expected to gain support among the population and volunteer associations: Desenzano’s mayor Cino Anelli, the former mayor of Sirmione Mario Arduino (serving as moderator), the president of Volunteers of Garda Gianfranco Rodella, and the vice-prefect Rinaldo Argentieri.

Speakers and theme of the first evening

At the speakers’ table were the national president of the Voluntary Firefighters Association, Gino Gronchi, and commanders from various regions of the Carabinieri, police, Guardia di Finanza, and municipal police. Two speakers for the first evening: Enzo Cossu, provincial councilor for Civil Protection and Ecology, and Dante Ferraris, the “disaster manager” of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Ferraris emphasized the need for a more solid and widespread civil protection service, highlighting the role of the mayor as the “great responsible in case of calamities.” The ministry expert also recalled the “great cultural moment experienced by Italy when civil protection was recognized not only as rescue and reconstruction but also as a substantial preventive effort on the territory.”

Upcoming meetings and location

The territory of lower Garda will host the second of the scheduled meetings organized by the Intermunicipal Service, set for February 24th at 8:45 PM. Topics will include the characteristics of Garda’s soil, types of risks, and the response systems currently developed by the civil protection system. The following meetings, all at the Palazzo del Turismo di Desenzano, are scheduled for March 30th, April 27th, May 25th, and June 15th.

Currently, the Service, created in Sirmione on initiative of the former Arduino Administration, is chaired by Desenzano’s mayor Cino Anelli. It includes the municipalities of Desenzano, Sirmione, Lonato, Moniga, Padenghe, Polpenazze, Pozzolengo, Puegnago, and Soiano. The operational, organized, and modern headquarters, equipped with rescue vehicles and trained personnel, is located at the detachments of Lugana Marina, owned by the Municipality of Sirmione.