L'intervento italiano
On November 26, the ERCC - Emergency Response and Coordination Center - from the DG ECHO of the European Commission received a request for assistance from the Albanian government for medium urban search and rescue teams (MUSAR), to be mobilized through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism. In addition to specialized personnel, emergency response facilities such as tents, water purifiers and electric generators are also requested.
Meanwhile, the Civil Protection Department arranged for the dispatch of teams composed of Fire Brigade, Guardia di Finanza, Army, mobile columns of the Apulia and Molise Regions formed by personnel of the regional administration and of national and local voluntary organizations, personnel of the Civil Protection Department and health personnel of the Regional Emergency Service of the Lombardy-AREU Region. The team also included three modules of the Ucis-Unita Cinofile Italiane da Soccorso, for the support to search and rescue activities, volunteers of Anpas and of Misericordie for assistance to the population and the Italian Red Cross, for the logistic support necessary to transport the equipment of the mobile columns of Puglia and Molise.
The transfer to Albania of the various resources takes place with the Air Force, the Italian Army, the Guardia di Finanza, the Fire Brigade, with naval vehicles of the Harbour Offices-Coast Guard and with scheduled ferries. The support provided on the spot by the maritime border nucleus of the Guardia di Finanza of Durres was significant.
As provided for by the INSARAG International Search And Rescue Advisory Group guidelines, the Italian team, the first to arrive in the affected area, ensured - initially - the coordination of international rescue teams from the Prefecture of Durres.
At the request of the Albanian authorities, the European Union's Copernicus emergency satellite mapping service was also activated, which produced six satellite images of the affected areas on deformation and ground displacement.
The Italian intervention was thus carried out within the framework of the European emergency response system (Meccanismo Unionale di Protezione Civile). Italy participated in the activation with a specialized team in the search and rescue of rubble in urban areas. The Italian MUSAR team operates within the European Civil Protection Pool, ECPP; it therefore has special response capabilities capable of supporting those operating in the territory affected by an emergency. These experts reached Albania on the day of the earthquake. Also, alongside the European teams operate, on the basis of bilateral agreements, teams from other countries: European and non-European countries (Switzerland, Israel, Turkey, France, Croatia, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo).
As of 27 November there are 440 units of specialized personnel in Albanian territory, belonging to the Italian Civil Protection System.