The proper management of issues related to the phenomenon of “water” has required targeted interventions over recent decades, both in terms of prevention and the protection of urban centres and industrial settlements. The “water” problem does not mean only flooding and/or inundation; it is often associated with other phenomena such as landslides, erosion, debris flows, subsidence, sinkholes, and fractures, resulting in damage to infrastructure and the interruption of essential services for the community.
It is therefore essential to have qualified personnel who are prepared to promptly address difficult situations in complex environmental conditions, including during night-time hours.
In such cases, preliminary preparation — both theoretical and operational — is of strategic importance for all those called to intervene, in order to develop individual and collective capabilities to:
- build the necessary collaboration during crisis situations;
- define and recognise the operational role of each member;
- understand the applicable operational procedures;
- assess present and future risks.
Drawing on its many years of experience, Tecnica Formazione Sicurezza has the educational expertise and the best logistical and organisational resources to offer clients training courses and specialist programmes on the management of hydrogeological vulnerabilities and their consequences, placing particular emphasis not only on practical field operations — which are undeniably important — but also on a thorough understanding of the phenomena: why and how they develop, how to predict and prevent them, what to do once an event has occurred, how to organise rescue operations, and how to manage the affected communities.
Tecnica Formazione Sicurezza designs and installs remote sensing systems, environmental monitoring networks, and automatic surveillance/alarm systems to secure areas (urban centres, settlements, roads) exposed to hydrogeological risk caused by adverse natural or climatic events: earthquakes, bradyseism, heavy snowfall, and violent rainfall.
Training
ICE & FIRE s.r.l. offers specialised training courses in hydrogeological and hydraulic risk: from training Civil Protection operators to hydraulic supervisors and basin managers, from the safe use of drainage pumps to the management of drinking water emergencies, from intervention techniques for landslides and debris flows to self-protection in flood-affected aquatic environments.
Hydrogeological Risk
| Course | Duration | Target audience |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrogeological Risk | 20 hours | Civil Protection operators |
| Hydrogeological Risk | 24 hours | Civil Protection operators — extended course |
| Hydrogeological Risk — Civil Protection Technical Officers | 40 hours | Civil Protection hydraulic supervisors |
| Team Leader — Hydrogeological Risk | 20 hours | Operational team leaders in hydrogeological scenarios |
The hydrogeological risk courses provide the theoretical and practical foundations for safe operation in flood and overflow scenarios: applied hydraulics for watercourses, flood dynamics and induced risks, operator safety techniques, intervention equipment, levee protection and raising, and containment of water seepage through embankments. The technical officer course (40 hours) covers forecasting and prevention activities, the structure of Civil Protection intervention during hydrogeological emergencies, and emergency management including channel monitoring and maintenance. The Team Leader course develops coordination skills for operational teams in specific hydrogeological risk scenarios.
Hydraulic Risk — Flooding, Levees, and Inundation
| Course | Duration | Target audience |
|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic Risk — Hydraulic Supervisors | 40 hours | Stretch managers and flood-watch services |
| Hydraulic Risk — Basin Managers | 24 hours | Technical coordinators of the hydraulic service |
| Hydraulic Risk — Intervention Techniques and Equipment Use | 24 hours | Operators in flood scenarios |
| Hydraulic Risk — Levee Protection and Sandbag Coronation on Seepage Points | 20 hours | Civil Protection operational teams |
| Hydraulic Risk — Flood Scenarios and Use of Hydraulic Pumps | 16 hours | Civil Protection volunteers in flood scenarios |
| Levee Surveillance in Hydraulic and Hydrogeological Scenarios | 8 hours | Levee surveillance operators |
The hydraulic risk courses cover the full range of intervention activities: from routine levee surveillance (flood-watch service) to acute emergency management. The Hydraulic Supervisors course (40 hours) covers the regulatory framework, hydraulic risk forecasting and prevention, emergency procedures, and DOGIT activities. The Basin Managers course covers operational coordination and resource management. The technical equipment module includes the use of dewatering pumps, generators, sandbagging machines, and anti-flood barriers. The flood scenario module also addresses secondary risks present in flood environments (electrical, gas, chemical-biological) and the related self-protection procedures.
Geological Risk — Landslides, Collapses, and Debris Flows
| Course | Duration | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Geological Risk — Landslides, Collapses, and Debris Flows | 20 hours | Intervention in landslide events and debris flows |
The geological risk course trains personnel called to intervene in landslide events in mountain areas: meteorological fundamentals, types of landslides and debris flows, intervention techniques and specific equipment, PPE, monitoring system management and installation methodologies, victim rescue, and procedures to activate. The practical section consolidates knowledge of operational techniques in unstable ground conditions.
Pumps and Hydraulic Equipment
| Course | Duration | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Safe Use of Pumps | 16 hours | Hydraulic principles, medium-duty drainage and fire-fighting pumps |
| Practical Safe Use of Drainage Pumps | 8 hours | Petrol-driven pumps, electric pumps, routine maintenance |
| Drainage Pump Practical Use — Refresher | 4 hours | Refresher on operational scenarios |
The pump courses provide operators with complete technical skills for managing drainage equipment: hydraulic principles and head losses, design and installation of hydraulic pipelines, types of petrol-driven and electric pumps, routine and extraordinary maintenance, and PPE relevant to pump operation. The basic course (16 hours) includes the theoretical section on hydraulic principles; the 8-hour and 4-hour practical modules focus on operational training in different scenarios.
Drinking Water Risk — Water Treatment and Supply
| Course | Duration | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Drinking Water Risk — Water Supply and Use of Water Treatment Units | 8 hours | Supply by tanker and use of water treatment units |
| Drinking Water Risk — Water Supply and Use of Water Treatment Units | 20 hours | Water emergency, treatment methods, filtration |
| Drinking Water Risk — Domestic Water Supply Systems | 20 hours | Drinking water emergency management, cisterns, water treatment, disinfection |
The drinking water risk courses prepare Civil Protection operators to manage water emergencies: supply by tanker, correct use of water treatment units (filtration, clarification, sedimentation, sterilisation, disinfection with sodium hypochlorite), hygiene and sanitation measures for the transport and distribution of domestic water, and optimisation of water consumption in conditions of scarcity. The 20-hour course also covers the health and sanitation consequences of failure of an urban drinking water system.
Self-Protection in Aquatic and Flood Environments
| Course | Duration | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Fall into Water — Level I (Basic Self-Protection) | 8 hours | First approach to self-protection in water |
| Fall into Water — Level II (Intermediate Self-Protection) | 8 hours | Hypothermia, knots, survival without a life jacket |
| Fall into Water — Level III (Advanced Self-Protection) | 8 hours | Complex flood scenarios, psycho-physical stress management |
The three-level course trains operators in self-protection in the event of accidental falls into water or intervention in flood scenarios. Level I covers the fundamentals of self-protection in hostile environments, the hazards of aquatic environments, the use of buoyancy aids, and alerting procedures. Level II addresses hypothermia management, knots for aquatic environments, and survival without flotation aids. Level III develops psycho-physical stress management in complex flood environments and rescue techniques for persons in danger of drowning. All levels include practical exercises in water.
Regulatory References
- Legislative Decree 1/2018 (Civil Protection Code) — Civil Protection Code
- Italian Legislative Decree 81/2008 (Consolidated Safety Act) and subsequent amendments — Consolidated Act on health and safety in the workplace
- Legislative Decree 49/2010 — Implementation of Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risks
- Italian Legislative Decree 81/2008, Art. 3, paragraph 3-bis (Consolidated Safety Act) — Applicability of the Consolidated Act to volunteer Civil Protection operators
For information on courses, availability, and quotations, please contact ICE & FIRE s.r.l.