is concluded at the’IPAMAS (Institute for the Improvement and Training in Aeronautical and Space Medicine) the first edition of the course BIO-CBRN Medical, a cutting-edge project aimed at training military doctors and nurses in managing biological agent emergencies and complex contaminations.
The initiative, which originated at the behest of the Head of the Air Force Medical Corps, Chief Inspector General Pietro Perelli, it is inspired by the American excellence of Fort Detrick, one of the world's centres of excellence in the field of biosafety, to respond to the challenges of current geostrategic scenarios.
The course, held from 2 to 13 February, saw the synergy between IPAMAS, the 3rd Wing of Villafranca and the Main Infirmary of Pratica di Mare, organised into two specialist modules.
The first part, directed by Colonel Paolo Marcatili, it has provided participants with specialised expertise in CBRN medicine, with a focus on triage, first aid in contaminated environments, and emergency communications management. Practical exercises, conducted with MEGACODE simulators, have enabled the integration of healthcare and CBRN protection. A key element was the C.C.A. Med Line, (Contaminated Control Area, a sanitary decontamination line that allows for the initial stabilisation of a contaminated patient before further medical treatment. The training used virtual reality to safely simulate complex scenarios, concluding with a visit to the Sanitary Point of Entry (POE), a futuristic modular operational facility for the management of health emergencies, usable in both military and civilian contexts.
The second part of the course, under the guidance of Colonel Alessandro Fiorini, has instead focused on the transport and management of air transport of patients in high biocontainment. In this field, attendees have acquired skills in the most advanced procedures and techniques for safe air transport, the use of isolator systems (such as biocontainment stretchers, which proved fundamental during health emergencies related to the Ebola and COVID-19 viruses), as well as operational capability aimed at contributing to the creation of dedicated health logistics chains for the distribution of infectious patients in emergency situations at a national and international level.
It Brigadier General Emanuele Garzia, Chief of the Logistic Command's Medical Service, in presenting the works, he stressed: “The BIO CBRN course represents a strategic milestone for the entire national defence system. The integration of medical expertise and military operational capabilities allows for an effective response to complex health crises, in both military and civilian spheres, in coordination with other defence and civil protection institutions.”.
“This initiative confirms the path we have takenforesight from the Italian Air Force over twenty years ago with the first steps of high biocontainment transport”he recalled Brigadier General Ezio Fiore, Director of IPAMAS, “and strengthens the international projection capability of Military Health in humanitarian or bioterrorist crisis scenarios, ensuring the deployment of highly qualified personnel, in line with the highest safety and health management standards.”.
With the introduction of the BIO CBRN course, the Air Force once again confirms its vocation for’innovation and to Advanced training, laying the groundwork for a new generation of professionals in military health, ready to operate in contexts of maximum complexity.
Named in memory of Lieutenant Medical Officer Francesco Paolo Remotti, the’IPAMAS It is the reference body for the health training of the Italian Air Force and the sole accredited provider for Continuing Medical Education (ECM).
