IT-Alert is an innovative alarm tool developed by the National Department of Civil Protection. In the digital age we live in, Civil Protection is evolving to adapt to modern challenges. IT-Alert is intended to provide information to the population in the event of major emergencies or imminent or ongoing disasters. This alarm system represents a crucial step forward in ensuring public safety and will be tested for the first time on June 28 in Tuscany.
IT-Alert: a new alert tool for the population
IT-Alert is a means of direct communication to mobile phones present in a specific geographical area. Taking advantage of cell-broadcast technology, this system sends timely and useful messages to users’ mobile devices. In this way, it can provide crucial information in case of emergencies. Thanks to this unidirectional and generalized messaging method, IT-Alert can reach a large portion of the population in the interested area.
IT-Alert represents an important tool for public safety. In the event of an emergency or disaster, time is of the essence. This is why the timeliness of information can make the difference between life and death. IT-Alert allows you to quickly reach a large number of people in the area, providing information and recommendations on the actions to be taken. This public warning system aims to reduce response time and improve emergency management capability.
The IT-Alert test in Tuscany
To verify the effectiveness and effectiveness of IT-Alert, the Civil Protection Department has scheduled a large-scale test in Tuscany. At noon on June 28, all powered-on mobile phones in the region will receive an alarm tone followed by a test message. This message, available in both Italian and English, will inform users of the ongoing test and invite them to send feedback on the experience. After the initial test in Tuscany, the IT-Alert system will be tested in other Italian regions. Tuscany will be the pioneer, followed by Sardinia, Sicily, Calabria and Emilia-Romagna. This experimentation will collect important data and feedback to further improve the system before its full implementation. Within this year, IT-Alert will also be tested in other regions, including the Autonomous Provinces of Bolzano and Trento.
How does IT-Alert work?
Unlike a simple SMS or an application to download, IT-Alert exploits cell-broadcast technology. This mode of communication allows messages to be sent within a group of geographically close telephone cells, delimiting an area corresponding to that affected by the event. The device must be turned on and charged and must have telephone connectivity in the area affected by the emergency. This system also works in cases of limited connection or saturation of the telephone band.
Despite the effectiveness of IT-Alert in providing timely information, it is essential to remember that technology alone cannot solve all problems related to emergencies. The citizen plays a crucial role in civil protection. He is responsible for informing himself about the risks present in the territory, adopting self-protection behaviors and following the official indications of the competent institutions. IT-Alert represents a technological support, but it is the citizen’s awareness and action that complete the path towards public safety.
The events covered
Once the testing phase is completed, IT-Alert will be used for specific civil protection events. Among those contemplated at the moment are the tsunami generated by an earthquake, the collapse of a large dam, the volcanic activity of the Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei, Vulcano and Stromboli volcanoes, nuclear accidents or radiological emergency situations, major accidents in establishments subject to legislative decree 26 June 2015, n. 105 (Seveso Directive) and heavy rainfall.
IT-alert will be a new communication platform that will integrate, in serious emergency situations, the usual information channels provided by the local civil protection system. This tool will be particularly effective if known by the population, together with awareness of the specific risk of one’s own territory and individual self-protection measures. These will also be promoted in the national #IONONRISCHIO campaign.
Master’s student in Energy Engineering at the University of Bologna, always passionate about scientific dissemination, especially everything related to the environment and sustainability. Writing has given me the opportunity to meet new worlds and discover new interests, which is why despite having started as an author for #EnergyCuE since November 2020, today I collaborate for the entire network.