The exercise
The Exe Flegrei 2025 exercise on November 5 and 6 tests the meeting area "Port of Naples - Maritime Station," and for this reason, it completes the national exercise Exe Flegrei 2024, which took place in Campania from October 9 to 12, 2024, and which involved the testing of 5 out of the 6 meeting areas identified in the national planning for volcanic risk in the Phlegraean Fields.
A delegation from Saudi Arabia is observing the exercise activities.
The neighborhoods involved. The meeting area "Port of Naples - Maritime Station," which was tested during this exercise, serves the residents of the districts of Posillipo (twinned with the Sardinia Region), Chiaia, San Ferdinando, and Montecalvario (twinned with the Sicily Region). In the event of alarm and pre-emptive evacuation, these areas have established procedures that involve the use of vessels for assisted evacuation.
Assisted evacuation. The assisted evacuation activities planned for Exe Flegrei 2025, in coordination with the Campania Region, will involve 150 people, including students and teachers. They are required to travel from the "Bernini - De Sanctis" State Institute to the meeting point at the "Port of Naples - Maritime Station." The transportation will be provided by the Campania Region, and the route will include designated waiting areas set up in three districts of Naples: Piazza Vittoria, Piazza Sannazzaro, and Piazza San Luigi.
The three waiting areas in the Municipality of Naples. Waiting areas designated for volcanic risk are specified in the municipal civil protection plan. These locations serve as the first places where residents should go and stay temporarily if evacuation operations from the red zone are initiated. For the exercise, these areas are arranged to closely resemble their actual setup. They include a social and healthcare station, a civil protection post, information kiosks provided by the Municipality of Naples and the Campania Region, as well as a local police post. Each waiting area also has civil protection volunteers who are trained in bradyseism, volcanic phenomena, and civil protection planning.
The meeting area. The meeting area, "Port of Naples - Maritime Station," is being established in the parking lot in front of the Maritime Station building, which is located outside the red zone. This modular design has been tested during the October 2024 exercise and will feature various facilities. These include an area for buses arriving from waiting areas, a boarding area for twin regions, an information area, a personal registration area, restrooms, a medical station, and a rest and refreshment area. Additionally, there will be a dedicated space for managing the Meeting Area (POAI), and, similar to the waiting areas, information points will be available for the public.
Population registration. In the meeting area, population registration procedures are being tested with a computerized system provided by the Civil Protection Department. This registration system facilitates the collection of information regarding citizens' potential social and healthcare needs. It utilizes a form developed from the assessment form for determining the immediate needs of individuals with disabilities or specific requirements (SVEI).
Coordination operations centres. The main activities of the exercise will take place in Naples, but the test involves all seven municipalities in the red zone: Naples, Pozzuoli, Bacoli, Quarto, Monte di Procida, Giugliano in Campania, and Marano di Napoli. This will include the activation of the municipal coordination centers in collaboration with the Naples Relief Coordination Centre (CCS) and the Unified Regional Operational Room of the Campania Region (SORU).
The Civil Protection Department activates its Crisis Unit (UdC) nationally, convenes the Operational Committee at its headquarters, and establishes the Command and Control Directorate (DiComaC) at the regional headquarters in San Marco Evangelista, Caserta.
Activities in the twinned regions. On November 7, 2025, exercise activities will continue at the regional level in Sardinia, in the Ports of Cagliari, Olbia, and Arbatax, to test population identification procedures upon disembarkation from ships and ferries at the first reception points, pending assignment and transfer to reception facilities, with the involvement of students from some schools in the area.
Stock image taken from the "Exe Flegrei 2024" photo gallery