The Civil Protection exercise "Elliot the Dragon" was held in Abruzzo in recent days, organized by the 9th Alpini Regiment (Multifunctional Battalion "Vicenza") under the command of Colonel Paolo Sandri, which was also attended by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
The aim of the days is to inform and raise awareness among citizens on the risks associated with the territory and on the behaviors to adopt in the event of an emergency. The activities, organized between exhibitions, conferences, simulations and practical exercises, involved citizens, students and volunteers from the Municipalities of Roccacasale, Pratola Peligna, Sulmona and Pacentro.
INGV gave its contribution to "Elliot the Dragon" with a presentation by researchers Umberto Fracassi and Gianluca Valenzise entitled Historia magistra vitae: Geology and History as prevention tools against seismic risk and with an information stand aimed at illustrate some of the national databases produced by the Institute (including "Have you heard the earthquake?" and the Seismic Hazard Map), the recent seismic history of Italy, its seismic hazard and seismogenic sources.
The presence of INGV in the exercise stems from the Institute's participation in the study day "Emergency management: from Earth sciences to psychological sciences" organized last March by the 9th Alpine Regiment at the Department of Psychological Sciences of Health and territory of the D'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara.