The international exercise GOin4SAFETY was successfully completed over the weekend: the largest joint simulation ever held in the Italy-Slovenia cross-border area

The international exercise GOin4SAFETY, the largest joint simulation ever conducted in the cross-border area between Italy and Slovenia, has successfully ended. From June 5 to 8, 2025, over 500 civil protection operators, firefighters, law enforcement officers, volunteers, and specialized teams from Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and the German city of Chemnitz tackled complex and realistic emergency scenarios.

The simulations, held on both sides of the border, included building collapses, fires, buried vehicles, hazardous material spills, and extreme rescue operations. All activities were carried out in full safety, with no harm to the personnel involved – a key result and a testament to the professionalism of the operational teams.

The closing ceremony took place on Sunday, June 8, at the Auditorium of Friulian Culture in Gorizia, where project organizers and partners presented the initiative’s goals – focused on strengthening cross-border cooperation between civil protection systems – and shared a preliminary assessment of the results.

During the final debriefing, operational proposals emerged to further improve coordination and dialogue between institutions from the participating countries. This exchange marked a pivotal moment in turning field experience into practical tools for more efficient, integrated, and sustainable emergency management.

In their institutional addresses, the mayors of Nova Gorica and Gorizia, Samo Turel and Rodolfo Ziberna, highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation in emergency management, reminding everyone that “natural disasters know no borders.”

Zvonko Glažar, Commander of the Slovenian Fire Service, also attended the event and thanked all participants for their commitment and demonstrated collaboration.

The exercise was coordinated by Borut Mihelj (Nova Gorica Fire Department) for Slovenia and Salvatore Gambitta (Civil Protection of the Municipality of Gorizia) for Italy. According to early assessments, the joint effort showed a good level of operational performance on the ground but also highlighted some critical issues, particularly at the institutional coordination level.

As stated by Tadej Devetak, President of the Nova Gorica – Šempeter Volunteer Firefighters Association: “Operational team collaboration is excellent, thanks in part to well-established personal relationships. However, we need to work on overcoming the barriers between national systems. Only then can we ensure an increasingly effective response to shared emergencies.”

The final event featured a ceremony honoring the participating teams, recognizing their great commitment and professionalism in the field. It was an opportunity to thank all operators, partners, and organizers who made the exercise possible and who tangibly reinforced the spirit of borderless cooperation.

GOin4SAFETY is part of the European project IN4SAFETY, co-financed by the Interreg Italy–Slovenia Program, with the aim of strengthening climate resilience and improving response capacity through closer cross-border cooperation.

Key operational scenarios of the exercise included:

IN ITALY
June 6 – From 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, a simulation took place at the Mocchetta water plant, where the collapse of the transformer room floor caused a blackout. The response involved technical inspections, generator activation, radio communication implementation, and coordination with the crisis committee.

Simultaneously, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, an aerial drone survey assessed structural damage to buildings in designated areas, providing essential data for planning further interventions.

In the afternoon, starting at 3:30 PM in Largo Michieli, search operations for two missing persons began, using canine units that followed paths reported by eyewitnesses.

June 7 – Firefighters conducted structural stabilization work on the ancient walls of Gorizia Castle. The interventions focused on reinforcing a damaged stone arch at the north entrance using shoring and centering techniques for safety.

From 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM, canine units carried out scent-tracking operations from abandoned vehicles in Transalpina/Europe Square. Activities extended beyond the border into Slovenian territory, testing the challenges of cross-border coordination.

At 9:00 AM, a forest fire was simulated between Savogna d’Isonzo and Doberdò del Lago. The response included water withdrawal from the Vipava River, ground crews along forest roads, and use of a dedicated water reservoir to contain the flames.

IN SLOVENIA
June 6–7 – One of the most complex scenarios took place in Vrtojba, where a dilapidated building partially collapsed, causing a fire. The operation spanned two days and required shoring, cutting, and vertical rescue techniques to extract three trapped individuals.

In Lokve, a full collapse simulation was staged at the former Poldanovec Hotel. Rescuers worked over 24 hours among the rubble to locate, rescue, and provide medical assistance to the injured, using advanced search and rescue techniques.

In Piazza Europa, in the heart of the cross-border area, one of the most impactful demonstrations occurred: the simulated collapse of a home required complex rescue efforts to locate and retrieve two people buried under debris.

June 7 – In the village of Čepovan, a light technical rescue was carried out to free a driver trapped in a car crushed by a tree during an earthquake.

The exercise’s environmental component involved areas such as Solkan – Štmaver, Rafut Park, and Trnovo – Nemci, where search and rescue operations were conducted in wooded and mountainous environments. Techniques like “man trailing” were used to locate missing or injured persons.

Amateur radio operators made a key contribution on June 5 and 6. Their communications, crucial in total blackout scenarios, enabled the timely collection and transmission of essential information to activate rescue operations.

On the final day, Slovenian firefighters brought color and energy to Transalpina/Europe Square  with their Rainbow Show, turning the end of the exercise into a symbolic and engaging parade. It was a meaningful celebration of cooperation as the cornerstone of safety—uniting people across all borders.

The exercise was organized by:

• Municipality of Gorizia

• Civil Protection of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia

• Civil Protection of the Municipality of Gorizia

• Gasilska Enota Nova Gorica – Nova Gorica Fire Department

• ISIG – International Institute of Sociology of Gorizia

Project partners included:

• Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief – Nova Gorica Unit

• Triglav Insurance

• GO! 2025 European Capital of Culture

• EGTC GO

Authorities and speakers at the final ceremony:

• Municipality of Gorizia – Mayor Rodolfo Ziberna

• Municipality of Nova Gorica – Mayor Samo Turel

• Gorizia Prefecture – Ester Fedullo

• Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia – Regional Minister Riccardo Riccardi

• EGTC GO – Director Romina Kocina

• Northern Primorska Civil Protection – Chief Samo Kosmač

• Friuli Venezia Giulia Civil Protection – General Director Amedeo Aristei

• Nova Gorica Fire Unit – Commander Simon Vendramin

• Gorizia Firefighters – Commander Cira Piscicelli

• Municipality of Gorizia – Councillor Francesco Del Sordi

• PGD Volunteer Firefighters of Šempeter pri Gorici and cross-border emergency expert for Slovenia – Tadej Devetak

• Civil Protection of the Municipality of Gorizia and cross-border emergency expert for Italy – Alessandro Gallo