The training program for Albanian Civil Protection experts, offered by the Italian Civil Protection Department from April to July 2024, has been completed today with the awarding of certificates of participation.
Hosted in the splendid setting of the Residenza d’Italia, the 30 participants were greeted by the authorities present: the Italian Ambassador to Tirana, H.E. Fabrizio Bucci, the Head of the Italian Civil Protection Department, Fabio Ciciliano, AICS Tirana Director, Stefania Vizzaccaro, and the Director of the Albanian National Civil Protection Agency (AKMC), Haki Çako.
The ceremony provided an opportunity to highlight the main activities carried out as part of the project “Creation of a National Operations Center for Civil Emergencies of the Albanian National Civil Protection Agency,” funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. The training program was an integral and essential component of the project.
Thanks to 19 modules provided by Italian Civil Protection specialists, theoretical and operational issues were addressed, including emergency management and support for local authorities, logistics, exercises and social and health care assistance, management and organization of reception areas and temporary structures, prevention, communication and training campaigns, awareness-raising and risk mitigation, damage and loss assessment, risk forecasting and assessment, and the protection of cultural heritage during emergencies.
The collaboration between AICS, the Italian Civil Protection Department, and AKMC has enabled a progressive improvement in the Albanian Agency’s services and operations since 2019. Since the creation and launch of the “National Operations Center for Civil Emergencies of the Albanian National Civil Protection Agency,” this collaboration has led to renewed coordination within the framework of the European Civil Protection Mechanism, of which Albania is a member.
In his speech, Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Bucci emphasized “the excellence of the Italian Civil Protection System, which at the European and global levels constitutes a true model of expertise that can be exported to other countries. Thanks to projects like this, collaboration between Albania and Italy can be strengthened, for an even more united and secure future in the face of civil emergencies.”
“We are honored to be able to share the Department’s experience in preventing and managing domestic and foreign emergencies with our Albanian colleagues,” said Dr. Fabio Ciciliano, Head of the Civil Protection Department, “a course that further consolidates the already excellent relations between our countries, which share very similar cultures and risks.”
AKMC Director Haki Çako emphasized that, despite the AKMC’s short five-year existence, “the intense collaboration with the Italian Civil Protection Department has provided significant assistance during the November 2019 earthquake, the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2024 fires, floods, and snow-related roadblocks. At the same time, a series of agreements and funded projects have been signed to develop the Albanian Civil Protection’s capacity.”
Stefania Vizzaccaro, AICS Tirana Head of Office, emphasized the importance of “not only providing facilities and resources to strengthen Albanian Civil Protection services, but also ensuring broad-based training for personnel at all levels to predict the extent and consequences of catastrophic events and enable effective interventions in the field.”