Emergency exercise on the Adriatic Line between Potenza Picena and Civitanova Marche

A freight train departing from Falconara Marittima and bound for Pescara is rocked by a strong earthquake as it passes between the stations of Potenza Picena and Civitanova Marche. The two drivers are injured yet manage to raise the alarm. In response, the Movement Coordinator of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (FS Italiane Group) requests the intervention of the peripheral rescue structures.

The Fire Brigade intervenes, implementing all procedures envisaged for emergency operations through coordinating its own personnel along with the personnel of the Ferrovie dello Stato Group, 118 (Italy’s Emergency Medical Service) and the Police.

This is the scenario of the civil protection exercise that took place tonight, with the involvement of the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Group (RFI and Mercitalia), the Prefecture of Macerata, the Macerata Fire Brigade, the 118 Emergency Medical Service for Macerata, the Centre of Civil Defence for the region of Le Marche, the Municipalities of Potenza Picena and Civitanova Marche, the Macerata Police Headquarters, the Macerata Carabinieri Provincial Command, the Macerata Provincial Command of the Guardia di Finanza, the Railway Police Department for Le Marche – Umbria – Abruzzo, as well as the Macerata and Provincial Macerata Police Headquarters.

Particular attention was paid to assessing the procedures in the field so as to ensure aid arrives quickly and to confirm the activation times for the first aid teams. Also checked were the methods of communication between the structures involved and the Operating Rooms.

This activity is part of the “FS Group Civil Protection Exercise Plan” aimed at verifying the effectiveness of emergency health operations in the field and on the railway lines, with this exercise also being regulated by the RFI – Le Marche Region Civil Protection convention. The experience took place in compliance with the protocols envisaged for combating the Covid-19 health emergency.

There were no repercussions on the train traffic.