October 22nd 2005
During a terrorist drill in Naples, the third after Rome and Milan, two ambulances running towards an emergency simulated at the central station of Naples smashed one into the other, luckily without serious consequences. Only three five paramedics were wounded.
In picture: people and dummies during the simulation. Thanks to Repubblica.it.
In September, during the previous simulated terrorist attack in Rome, a lot of things went wrong too. I think that this is comforting. My people do not really believe in organization.
**update: As Corriere.it reports, the simulation consisted in one bus exploding, followed by a second explosion near the maritime port. Meanwhile another backpack containing explosive was being discovered at the central station. Finally, a device exploded in a coach of a crowded Vesuvian train. During this last episode, a woman involved in the rescue operation was recovered for a panic attack due to the confusion and smoke following the simulated explosion.
The prefect of Naples, in charge of the operation, claimed a perfect success, maintaining that the accident where the two ambulances were involved and five people sent to the hospital is not significant.
He seems to forgets that for any Italian hospital, particularly if in Naples, five more injured means a lot of deal. Like, hours of wait.
Yet none of this simulations seems ever to be considering the timing of the emergency inside public hospitals.
Probably because the simulation in such cases would take too many hours. Or days.