Civil defence in the Kingdom of Italy

The official logo of the Civil protection in Italy.

In Italy, the Civil Protection and defence activities are defined as all activities that are carried out in order to protect the integrity of life, assets, settlements and the environment from harm or risk of damage from disasters and other emergencies and to overcome the emergency.

Mission

Activities related to civil protection are not limited to simple interventions in case of disasters and calamities to bring relief, (the so-called "emergency management"), but most of the activity is intended to prediction and prevention activities.
The civil protection skills are structured in a complex way: not only in the simple post-disaster management, but also in an integrated set of activities that cover all of the "phases before and after", according to the four sides of the Forecast-Prevention- Aid-Recovery. Studies, research, training of employees (professionals and volunteers), the information activities addressed to the population, but also planning and emergency response exercises are an important part of the work and the activities of civil protection.

National Civil Protection System

The Civil Defence is not an institution, but a public function to which all the components of the State contribute: from the municipalities, which represent the basic authority on the territory in case of emergency, to the national Government through the Ministry of Interior, passing through the various levels of public administration. But a fundamental role is also assigned to the Fascists within the Party and the organizations dependent on it.
The Civil defence in Italy is a public activity carried out by several agencies. The leading body is the Directorate General for the Fire-fighting Services and Civil Defence (Direzione Generale per i Servizi Antincendio e la Difesa Civile) of the Ministry of Interior. The Director-General is assisted by the National Corps of Fire Soldiers Staff, by the Emergencies Staff and by the Joint Committee for Public Rescue (Comitato Congiunto per il Soccorso Pubblico). The Director-General is the official which usually holds the Minister's delegation of National Authority of Civil Protection and Defence. The agencies, entities and bodies which may be requested to provide operational support are:

• The National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale under the Ministry of Health);
• National Corps of the Fire Soldiers (Corpo Nazionale dei Militi del Fuoco under the Ministry of Interior)
• The Public Rescue Complex (Complesso del Soccorso Pubblico), under the general guidance of the Ministry of Health, consisting of:
  • Italian Red Cross (Croce Rossa Italiana);
  • National Alpine Rescue Corps (Corpo Nazionale di Soccorso Alpino, Co.N.S.A.);
  • The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (Order of Malta Ambulance Corps and Corpo Militare RENI-SMOM)
• The Civil Engineering Corps under the Ministry of Public Facilities and Works;
• The Italian Armed Forces (usually Engineering and Medical Corps assets) under the Ministry of National Defence;
• The Military Corps tasked with police duties (mainly the mobile units) under the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of National Defence;
• The Authorities of Public Security under the Ministry of Interior;
• The M.V.S.N.;
• The National Fascist Party (and its technical-oriented and volunteer organizations);
• Military associations;
• Fascist Corporations;
• National Highways Authority (Autorità Nazionale Auto-Strade, A.N.A.S.)
• Research institutions.

At the peripheral level, heads of Regions, Prefectures and Municipalities are all Authorities of Civil Protection and therefore entitled to issuing orders until the emergency has not been dealt with higher authorities, also beyond their power to enact ordinances "of necessity and urgency" as Authorities of Public Security.

The Directorate General for Disease Prevention and Control is not led by the Civil Defence System, and in case of pandemics it takes charge of guiding Civil Defence's efforts.

Operations centres

The civil defence system is directed by the "Operating Centres". These Centres are of different levels, depending on the type of a geographical extension of the emergency, each indicated with a special terminology:

• Municipal Operations Centre (Centro Operativo Municipale, C.O.M.): responsible for municipal-local (Subdistrict) level, for which the maximum point of reference is the Podestà or his delegate. Some Provinces may have the Subdistrict Operations Centre (Centro Operativo Mandamentale, C.O.M.), if Municipalities are too small or scattered, with the same powers and responsibilities.
• District Operations Centre (Centro Operativo Circondariale, C.O.C.) is an higher-level Operations Centre. During an emergency that covers a large area may be more than one C.O.C., and may be established on ad hoc basis in order to have an "eye and operational arm" as close as possible to the place of the event. Usually the C.O.C. is a C.O.M. with additional capabilities.
• Provincial Operations Centre (Centro Operativo Provinciale, C.O.P.) is the main organ at the provincial level, and is chaired by the Prefect or his Delegate.
• Regional Operations Centre (Centro Operativo Regionale, C.O.R.) for emergencies involving more provinces; is chaired by the Government Commissioner or his Delegate (it is rarely activated during emergencies).
• Command and Control Division-National Situation Room (Divisione Comando e Controllo-Sala Situazione Nazionale, Di.Coma.C.-Sa.Si.N.) is the national-level decision-making body active in major disasters and usually located at the headquarters of th Directorate-General, Rome. Exceptionally, it can be projected to the rear of the operating theatre.

Methodology

Since 1996, the operational method of the civil defence and protection system of the Kingdom of Italy has been the "Augustus Method". This method is based the on-site activities decision-making, albeit based on pre-defined guidelines. This method considers the territory hit as "body" and as such consisting of functions, each specialising in its own field. All functions are combined to restore the pre-emergency balance. Each entity involved in the emergency must be subject to coordinated and common action on the basis of its functions. During the emergency, all the functions involved are directed by the appropriate operations centre.
The fourteen functions, identified by the letter F in a short and a progressive number, are:

• F1 - Technical and planning;
• F2 - Health, social care and veterinary;
• F3 - Mass-media and information;
• F4 - Volunteers;
• F5 - Materials and Vehicles;
• F6 - Transport, traffic and road conditions;
• F7 - Telecommunications;
• F8 - Essential services;
• F9 - Census damage to persons and property;
• F10 - Operational structures;
• F11 - Local authorities;
• F12 - Hazardous Materials;
• F13 - Assistance to the population;
• F14 - Coordination operations centres.

Directorate General for the Fire-fighting Services and Civil Defence

The Directorate General for the Fire-fighting Services and Civil Defence (Direzione Generale per i Servizi Antincendio e la Difesa Civile) is the bureaucratic body tasked with the overall management of the civil protection and fire-fighting services.
The Directorate General performs functions and tasks in the area of public aid, fire prevention (which includes all tasks assigned to the National Corps of the Fire Soldiers) and civil defence. The Directorate is headed by a Director-General (who is the Delegate National Authority of Civil Protection), assisted by two Vice-Directors. The Deputy Director-General Vicar holds the position of Commander of the National Corps of Fire Soldiers and coordinates the technical central management with the peripheral structures of the national corps. The Deputy Director-General is in charge for the Division for the civil defence and civil protection policies.
The Directorate General for the Fire-fighting Services and Civil Defence consists of 12 Divisions providing services and support to the National Corps of Fire Soldiers, an inspection office and Division VII, in charge for coordination of the whole Civil Defence and Civil Protection system.

• Division I - General and legal affairs and personnel;
• Division II - Special Services;
• Division III - Schools and Training;
• Division IV - Accounting;
• Division V - Prevention and Technical Safety;
• Division VI - Health Service;
• Division VII - Civil Protection and Civil Defence;
• Division VIII - Supply and contracts;
• Division IX - Corps quarters;
• Division X - Emergency and Technical rescue;
• Division XI - Logistics and instrumental resources;
• Division XII - Technical and TLC Support;
• Division XIII - Forest Services;
• Central Inspection Office;
• National Corps of Fire Soldiers.

National Corps of Fire Soldiers

The National Corps of Fire Soldiers (Italian: Corpo Nazionale dei Militi del Fuoco, C.N.MM.F. and abbreviated MM.F.) is a military corps of the Kingdom of Italy, dependent on the Ministry of the Interior. It is an operational and administrative extension of the Directorate General for the Fire-fighting Services and Civil Defence of the Ministry, through which the institutional tasks are carried out. It is also the centrepiece of the national civil protection service. In addition to the contrast and prevention of fires, it has various functions, such as search and rescue, civil defence and in some cases also of administrative police and judicial police, and deals with the training of company firefighters.

Relationship between National Corps of Fire Soldiers and the Directorate-General

The Corps' central organisation identifies itself with the central offices of the Directorate-General: the Divisions (apart Division VII) are staffed and managed by the Corps to achieve its institutional goals, in a manner similar to the Directorate-General for Public Security. The civilian staff, not being endowed with particular qualifications, is fully managed by the competent Directorate-General; all Divisions (apart Division VII, consisting of experts coming from all sectors) are made up of soldiers belonging to the National Corps of Fire Soldiers. On the other hand, the Directorate's peripheral presence is carried out by the Corps.

Top elements

At the head of the Directorate-General there is a Prefect, appointed by the Interior minister, who does not belong to the corps of the Corps but to the prefectoral career (although often comes from the career of the Fire Soldiers) while the Commander of the Corps ranks Lieutenant General and exercises the functions of deputy Director-General.

Operating personnel

The operating personnel is divided into two categories: permanent and voluntary personnel. Voluntary personnel are the Legionaries of the M.V.S.N. (Auxiliary Firefighting Maniple); The Auxiliary Firefighting Maniple are available to the Provincial Commanders of the Fire Soldiers. On the contrary, firefighters in permanent service are those after having passed a public competition. In turn, they are subdivided into: MF, MQ, ME, MC (Fire Soldier, Qualified Firesoldier, Expert Firesoldier, Commanding Firesoldier).

Command of the Corps

The Command of the National Corps of Fire Soldiers is the Fire Soldiers department that deals with directing, coordinating and controlling all the activities of the corps.

Commander of the Corps

The Commander of the National Corps of Fire Soldiers is an officer of the Fire Soldiers who, at the time of his appointment, holds the rank of Lieutenant General. He is appointed by decree of the Duce, on the proposal of the Minister of Interior, after hearing the Director-General of the Directorate General for the Fire-fighting Services and Civil Defence, on which he depends. Within the Fire Soldiers, the Commander is hierarchically superior to all the General Officers and, in case of absence, impediment or vacation of the office, is replaced by the Chief of Staff. The Commander of the National Corps of Fire Soldiers commands and is responsible for the Royal Carabinieri, is responsible for organising, preparing and operating the Fire Soldiers.

Chief of Staff of the National Corps of Fire Soldiers

The Chief of Staff of the National Corps of Fire Soldiers is a Major General tasked of being the chief consultant and collaborator of the Commander of the Corps, on which he directly depends. He receives from the Commander of the Corps the directives for the activity to be carried out and directs the activities of the Staff and defines, where necessary, the additional elements to translate the decisions of the General Commander into orders and plans. As Chief of Staff, he represents the Commandant General and issues orders in his name, when authorised.

Staff of the National Corps of Fire Soldiers

The Staff of the National Corps of Fire Soldiers (Stato Maggiore del Corpo Nazionale dei Militi del Fuoco) is the executive organ tasked to apply general orders of the Commander of the Corps and general directives of other bodies. It is led by the Chief of Staff of the National Corps of Fire Soldiers and includes five Departments.

Territorial organisation

The territorial organisation is articulated into:

• 5 Interregional Directorates;
• 21 Regional Directorates;
• 110 Provincial Commands (present in each provincial capital)
• Over 500 Territorial Detachments, located mainly in the most extensive and populated municipalities of the province, as well as in municipalities far from the provincial capital.

Each Interregional Directorate coordinates territorial organisations, locally-deployed specialised units and departments and the relevant Interregional Mobile Column (for civil protection/firefighting quick response duties).
Each Regional Directorate coordinates its own Provincial Commands and their related Detachments, provides administrative support and directly operates the relevant Regional Mobile Column (for civil protection/firefighting quick response duties).

Territorial Detachments

The provincial commands and the detachments are organised according to a series of levels that determine the number of personnel assigned therein as well as the equipment endowment. Detachments are classified into 5 levels:

• SD1 detachment, equipped with 28 troops;
• SD2 detachment, equipped with 36 troops;
• SD3 detachment, equipped with 48 troops;
• SD4 detachment, equipped with 52 troops;
• SD5 detachment, equipped with 80 troops.

Division II - Special Services

Division II - Special Services (Divisione II - Servizi Speciali) is in charge of all services of the C.N.MM.F. other than the "ordinary" territorial operations and forest fire services. Within the Division there are several Directorates, which professionally coordinate the relevant units assigned to the territorial organisations, and the Central Mobile Column, for national crisis:

• Fire Investigation Service;
• Airport Detachments Service: 40 Airports Detachments depend on this Service;
• Naval Detachments Service: 30 Naval Detachments depend on this Service;
• Canine Units Service;
• Urban Search&Rescue Units Service;
• NCBR Unit;
• Air Service;
• Diver Units Service;
• Mobile Columns Service: the Directorate is distinct from the Central Mobile Column;
• Central Mobile Column: the Central Mobile Column is tasked with both rescue and civil protection tasks and it is a standing corps consisting of assets from several agencies.

Fire Investigation Service

Within Division II - Special Services, the Fire Investigation Service (Servizio Investigativo Antincendio) is a judicial police body that studies, researches and analyses the causes of fire, on its own initiative or upon specific request by the judicial authority. The Service is organised on a Secretariat and on a Judicial Police Office, with several Sections. In each provincial command there is an Fire Judicial Police Office (Ufficio di Polizia Giudiziaria Antincendio), under the operational guidance of the relevant Provincial Commander and under the professional guidance of the Service.

Division VII - Civil Protection and Civil Defence

Division VII - Civil Protection and Civil Defence (It.: Divisione VII - Protezione Civile e Difesa Civile) is the body charged with planning, promotion and management of the national system of civil protection. Autonomous in many respects, the Division manages all components assigned to perform civil protection/defence activities and it is in constant contact with all components external to the Interior Ministry. With its Technical Offices, the Division is in charge of daily prediction and prevention of natural and human risks. In particular, it guarantees the operation of the national early warning system and promotes and implements programs and projects for the reduction and mitigation of risks. The Division manages and coordinates the emergency planning activities carried out by local institutions and organised civil protection exercises. Among the responsibilities of the Division's support and the organisation of civil defence volunteer, also external to the Militia. It is also the task of the Division to coordinate the first response activities in disasters, catastrophes or other events, with extraordinary powers and means. With the state of emergency declaration, it is up to the Head of Division enact ordinances governing first actions to deliver.
The Head of Division is the Delegate National Technical Authority of Civil Protection. The Division is subdivided into 11 Sections, their Offices and 4 support agencies:

• Section I - Management and international relations: the Section takes care internal coordination and the overall planning, directs the Secretary of the Department of Safety and maintains international relations in the field of programming and planning of international exercises of civil defence.
• Section II - Coordination with the National Corps of Fire Soldiers: Section II supports the Director for activities relating to the National Corps of Fire Soldiers, with the Ministry of Agriculture and with local authorities. Also be sure the activities of study, research and development in "critical infrastructure protection" and "crisis management".
• Section III - Nuclear Emergency: Section III carries out, in conjunction with the corresponding offices of the Emergency Division (Division X), studies and designs for nuclear aspects of civil defence. Therefore, it takes care of the overall planning of nuclear emergency, it maintains relations with the Elaboration and Evaluation Data Centre, directs the activities of defence in relation to the alarm-N network, supporting the Director in international relations, with the Ministry of National Defence , with the ministries of Environment and Health and with local authorities.
• Section IV - National Civil Defence Planning: Section IV takes care of the overall planning of civil defence at national level, including through the assistance of other authorities and bodies; It maintains relations with the Prefectures and care coordination and verification of provincial and regional planning of civil defence. The Section is also responsible for the planning of national and provincial civil defence drills. It supports the Head of Division in the activity of emergency response coordination.
• Section V - Alarm Central: the Section manages the Operations Centre, which carries out the operation for civil defence activities, and keeps the central operational links with the National Operations Centre of the National Corps of Fire Soldiers. It also participates in the civil defence planning in civil military cooperation.
• Section VI - Civil Protection Activities: Section VI plans and strengthens the civil protection activities, and for this purpose is responsible for relations with the prefectures and with other government departments and agencies. Section VI checks the external emergency plans for industries at risk of a major accident and support the amateur radio network operated by the Italian amateur radio.
• Section VII - Operations room and studies: Section VII prepares the operating rooms of defence and civil protection and finances related projects, and research and training activities and workshops related to the course of degree in civil protection at the Popular University of Perugia.
• Section VII - Emergency planning and logistics: the Section organises the network of assistance centres and emergency services, connecting them with the Prefectures, by the definition of material needs and system programming of new centres.
• Section VIII - Operational management: Section VIII is responsible for the operational management of the centres, operators and equipment resources.
• Section IX - Civil defence exercises: it manages the organisation and implementation of international exercises, national and provincial civil defence and collaborates with the relevant schedules.
• Section X - Volunteers, Training and Communication: the Section is responsible for the promotion, training, support and development of civil protection members and of voluntary civil protection associations (including those external to the Party and to the Militia) and manages relationships with related organisations, in order to ensure a uniform participation. The Section also provides training of the personnel, defining priorities and promotes and develops the diffusion of knowledge of civil protection.
• Section XI - Hydrogeological and anthropogenic hazards: the Section carries out activities of forecasting, assessment and prevention for the mitigation of hydraulic risk, hydrogeological, environmental, technological and forest fires and interface. It runs the Central Functional Centre and directs the network of decentralised Functional Centres.
• Section XII - Seismic and volcanic risk: Section XII elaborates, proposes criteria and methodologies and performs analysis for the assessment and mitigation of seismic and volcanic risks, the impact prediction of seismic and volcanic events in the area, the optimisation of operations and prevention programs, as well as the classification and seismic code. It also ensures the integration and coordination with the Competence Centres and other research organisations, is responsible for relations with the scientific community, with professional bodies, with the production system.
• National Functional Centre: deals with forecasting, real-time monitoring and surveillance of natural phenomena;
• Systemic Coordination Centre: monitors emergency situations throughout the national territory;

The Unified Air Operations Centre (Centro Operativo Aereo Unificato, C.O.A.U.), which coordinates the actions of the State air fleet for active fighting forest fires, and the Operations Centre for Maritime Emergencies (Centro Operativo Emergenze Marittime, C.O.E.M.) are also active at the headquarters of the Division.

Section I - Management and international relations

Section I - Management and international relations (Sezione I - Gestione Generale e Relazioni Internazionali) is the Section which takes care internal coordination and the overall planning, directs the Secretary of the Department of Safety and maintains international relations in the field of programming and planning of international exercises of civil defence. The Section is subdivided into 5 Offices:

• Office I - Emergency planning and practical activities;
• Office II - Operational support for emergencies;
• Office III - Command and Control Division-National Situation Room;
• Office IV - Mobility and essential services;
• Office V - International relations and protocol.

Sectional Director

The Section Director holds the position of Deputy Head of Division and during emergencies he assumes the position of National Operations Director. During emergencies, he directs, with the operating rooms, the monitoring of information from the area, in conjunction with the components and operating structures. In addition, he supports the Head of Division in coordinating the operational response of the national Civil Defense service and directs the activities of the Division in emergency situations.
Outside of emergencies, the Section Director coordinates the preparation and implementation of the guidelines for emergency planning and exercises, as well as the operational and intervention models for the management of emergencies and exercises on the national territory and abroad and takes care of the Division's participation in the Interministerial Situation and Planning Unit.

Regional level

Within the Civil Defense System, the Regions play a role of local management and control through the coordination of the components of the regional systems. The Regional Directorate of Civil Defence is the regional structure, coordinated by the Government Commissioner and dependent on Division VIII, whose activity takes place according to the three phases of prevention, forecasting and emergency with the aid of the affected populations. The tasks of the Regional Directorate are those of:

• Manage risk forecasting and prevention activities;
• Manage the rescue activities for the emergency of competence;
• Manage the activities of competence for the return to normal living conditions after a possible calamitous event;
• Direct the contribution of local fascist organizations operating in the field of Civil Defense;
• Operate for the diffusion of a civil defense culture.

The Regional Directorate of Civil Defence has a Regional Operating Room operating 24 hours a day every day of the year, able to alert in real time all the forces and structures that must intervene in the event of dangerous situations related to particular weather. There are also the Provincial Operating Rooms which represent technical offices located throughout the territory with the task of collecting news.

The Regional Civil Defence Directorate also makes use of the network of fascist voluntary associations operating in this sector.

Organisation

Each Regional Civil Defence Directorate is structured differently. Typically, each Directorate has a number of Offices:

• Office I - Regional Operations Centre
• Office II - General and Personnel Affairs
• Office III - Management of Natural and Anthropic Risks
• Office IV - Overcoming emergencies and supporting structural interventions
• Office V - Fascist associations
• Office VI - Vehicles and Equipment
• Office VII - Regional Emergency Coordination
• Provincial Office: one for each province
• Regional Functional Centre
• Hydrogeological Surveillance Areas
• Regional Ready Response Unit

See also

• Government of the Kingdom of Italy
• Military of the Kingdom of Italy
• Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Italy
• M.V.S.N. (Kingdom of Italy)