The It-Alert test message kicks off the maxi-exercise [notiziediprato.it]

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Toxic cloud from Toscochimica: the It-Alert test message kicks off the maxi-exercise

Civil protection and law enforcement tested the company’s external emergency plan approved by the prefect in 2022 in the face of an industrial accident

At 2.30 pm sharp the sirens of Toscochimica, a company in Macrolotto 2 in Prato at risk of a major accident, sound and the It Alert message arrives on the cell phones of those within a 2 kilometer radius. Thus began the civil protection and law enforcement exercise to test the company’s external emergency plan approved by the prefect in 2022 in the face of an industrial accident.

The release of a toxic cloud was simulated. This is in particular hydrofluoric acid, a substance heavier than air which tends to go downwards. For this reason, the first precaution to take for those who are in the company or nearby is to go to the upper floors. “The most serious scenario that can happen within Toscochimica. – explains the provincial fire brigade commander Stefania Fiore – We simulated the spillage of 40% hydrofluoric acid from a container containing approximately one cubic meter”.
After about twenty minutes, while the municipal police, carabinieri, police and financial police closed access to the area through 10 stations, firefighters and 118 began to set up the base camp, located in a nearby but safe area. It is the first thing to do because it is here that the specialized departments of the fire brigade and health workers wear suitable protective suits to be able to enter the company and it is here that the decontamination of the operators and any injured people takes place. There are four of them, one of whom arrived on site on a stretcher. At the end, each of them underwent decontamination showers before taking off their suits.

The population surrounding the area was constantly informed, via megaphone, by the municipal civil protection on the self-protection behaviors to be followed following the accident.
To protect public health, the red zone (impact area approximately 60 meters from the company), the orange zone (damage area approximately 350 m) and the yellow zone have been delimited in which the advanced medical post with decontamination at approximately 440 meters.

Each phase of the exercise was coordinated in the new integrated provincial civil protection operations room inaugurated this morning at the provincial command of the Prato fire brigade and strongly supported by the prefect Adriana Cogode to have better logistical functionality during emergencies. Among other things, every police force and body that may be involved in a specific emergency has a dedicated station to communicate with its operations center what was decided during coordination.

A chain of command that from today finds more adequate and functional spaces and logistics with respect to the management of an emergency.

At the end of the intervention, which involved over 100 operators, the simulation can be considered successful. “The first impact is absolutely positive – says Commander Fiore – then, like all applications of the plans, we will carry out a detailed analysis with the various participants to verify what the possible points of improvement of the procedures are”.
Furthermore, the exercise, in collaboration with the National Department of Civil Protection of the Presidency of the Council and with the Civil Protection and Soil Defense Directorate of the Tuscany Region, was an opportunity to test the new public alarm system, IT-alert , for the first time in Tuscany in the case of industrial risk.

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