What would happen if, during the Olympics, the province of Turin's valley areas of Susa, Chisone and Pellice were submerged in snow?

This eventuality was simulated by a complex meteorological exercise last weekend involving over 1,000 people. At the offices of the Turin Police Prefecture, which organized the operation in collaboration with the Region of Piedmont and the Province of Turin, a rescue coordination centre was set up. At Pinerolo and Susa, the 35 volunteer associations that participated in the exercise set up two mixed operations centres. There were 384 personnel from the provincial department of the Civil Protection Agency and 30 Associazione Nazionale Pubbliche Assistenze professionals who ran two advanced medicine stations, (at Pinerolo and Perosa Argentina), 300 provincial government employees with equipment to clear snow and monitor and maintain the roads, 470 Alpine Rescue staff, two Fire Brigade helicopters, 80 firefighters, cranes, two sniffer-dog teams, 14 ambulances, 18 Red Cross units, 57 Carabinieri officers, 20 highway police agents and 10 regular police officers. The key moment of the simulation was the closure of the A32 motorway, and a power cut that affected 17 towns. The Alpine Rescue carried out a simulated rescue of people on a chair lift at the Pragelato ski-jump site following a power cut. The exercises were followed by Turin Provincial President Antonio Saitta, Prefect Giorgio Sottile and Provincial Civil Protection Councillor Silvana Sanlorenzo. The day continued with the inspection of a landslide at Val Germanasca and ended with the awarding of participation certificates and the final analysis of what had taken place.

From: Ansa.it
Click here to read the original text