Firefighters Surpass 2,500 Interventions Amid Flood Response

“If we go on like this, they’ll call us Water Guards!”

This was a joke that slipped yesterday morning from Sergio Bonadio, district inspector of the Vigili del Fuoco of Basso Sarca and Ledense. But it gives a good idea

Never before in this terrible 2000s have the local firefighters — an efficient army of 370 volunteers divided into twelve Corps — had to work so hard to combat the dangers of bad weather: first with floods and waterlogged cellars, then with the landslide rolled down from Magnone.

Summary of activities and recognitions

The annual activity of the district firefighters was summarized by Bonadio during the traditional St. Barbara gathering, a moment of reflection for the Firefighting Service. The meeting, attended by nearly a hundred volunteers, took place yesterday at the Riva barracks.

And here the inspector, with a legitimate touch of pride, was able to announce that by the end of November, in C9, the milestone of 2,500 interventions had already been surpassed: an authentic record.

Bonadio congratulated everyone for their effort during the recent floods. “Everyone’s response,” he said, “was commendable, especially because the enormous wave of requests severely tested all the Corps.

We understand the frustration of those who have been living for some time with a meter or more of water in their basements, and for this reason, even though pumping out the water seems almost pointless, we still intervene. However, the only real solution remains the natural lowering of the water table or the application of highly costly technological and structural solutions.

In exceptional circumstances, we also have a hierarchy of priorities. After life-saving rescue operations, the top priorities are interventions in strategic buildings (water supply, electricity, gas pipelines, hospitals…), followed by public buildings, productive activities, and then private properties.

If during a disaster, a private individual does not receive prompt assistance, it is because we have the obligation to follow certain protocols.

Honors and special missions

After the report (which offered many other interesting insights: we will discuss this…), Bonadio took on the role of master of ceremonies in the awarding of medals to his men. Those who responded three years ago in Umbria for the earthquake (see above) and the so-called “faithful ones”: namely the firefighters who have served for 40, 35, 20, and 15 years. The backbone of the team.