On 26th June, the’exercise called “MARE 2025”(Major Accident Response Exercise) which has allowed to test the synergy between institutions in an emergency situation.
The activity, organised for the second consecutive year by the Aviano Airport Command and the 31st Fighter Wing, involved, in addition to men and women of the Air Force, USAF personnel deployed to Aviano Air Base as well as Fire Brigade personnel, Law Enforcement, Civil Protection, the Regional Health Emergency Operations Centre (SORES), the Prefecture and the Police Headquarters of Pordenone.
During the training day, an emergency situation was simulated which was generated by a “Mid-air collision”between a USAF helicopter and a drone. The scenario therefore envisaged the need to manage controllability issues at “Black Hawk”which, upon impacting the ground outside the “Pagliano e Gori” Airport, caused injuries to the crew and civilians belonging to a nearby farm.
The simulation began with an emergency declaration from the aircraft's pilot to the Aviano approach radar, followed by a report to the NUE (Single Emergency Number) from a citizen who witnessed the incident. The control personnel then immediately initiated the planned alert procedures, while the SORES activated the emergency plan by dispatching rescue services to the incident site.
The main purpose of the exercise is‘MARE 2025’ was to implement the’Interoperability of the joints Aviano Airport Command and 31°F, as well as verify coordination procedures with Local Authorities, in accordance with current regulations and respecting their respective responsibilities; in fact, in a hypothetical real situation, synergy between the various military and civilian parties involved in managing such an emergency would be fundamental.
The complex scenario aimed to develop several crucial aspects: from the immediate Alerting, until Emergency response and put in Security of the affected area, from health aspects to those of judicial police in an operational context characterised by the use of a USAF asset.
“This type of training, within such a complex scenario, represents a unique opportunity to test the rescue alert chain, as well as the joint and synergistic deployment of the many personnel and resources called upon to intervene, belonging to various military and civil institutions.”, he stated at the end of the exercise Lt Col Massimo Evangelista, Aviano Airport Flight Safety Officer.
The Aviano Air Base It is an Italian Air Force airport named after “Pagliano and Gori”, heroic aviators of the First World War. The installation is under Italian command and hosts an important USAF Unit. The mission assigned to the Aviano Airport Command is to ensure national sovereignty, oversee the application of bilateral agreements relating to the US presence, support deployed Units, supervise flight activity, and ensure the defence of the Base.
