Today, the third and final edition of the basic and advanced courses titled “Forest fire and crime scene investigation techniques” kicks off. The course is promoted within the framework of international cooperation for environmental protection, through collaboration between the Arma dei Carabinieri and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
The two-week training program will take place at the Center of Excellence for Environmental Protection and, in part, at the Carabinieri Training Center in Castel Volturno, with a project closing ceremony scheduled for October 16 in the presence of Ambassadors from the participating States.
This edition will welcome an additional 12 participants, joining the same number of attendees from previous editions, bringing the total to 24 trainees from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana, Suriname, and Bolivia. It will focus on wildfire investigation techniques and evidence collection at environmental crime scenes. Therefore, methodologies for mapping the perimeters of fire-affected areas and identifying points of origin will be examined in depth, with the invaluable assistance of the Forest Fire Information Unit – NIAB Carabinieri experts.
Advanced technologies will be utilized, including a wildfire simulator, drones equipped with LIDAR sensors, and the Copernicus and Planet satellite systems, in collaboration with the Carabinieri Biodiversity Unit of Fogliano and the Carabinieri Circeo National Park Unit.
Trainees will engage in practical field exercises and in-depth studies on post-fire hydrogeological instability at Vesuvius National Park, where the key activities carried out by the Carabinieri Biodiversity Unit of Caserta and the Carabinieri Vesuvius National Park Unit will be presented. Significant focus will be dedicated to exchanging operational experiences and comparing regulatory frameworks among the participating countries.