From Friday, November 4 to Sunday, November 6, 2022, the National Civil Protection Service will participate in the national exercise "Messina Strait Earthquake 2022" which will take place between Calabria and Sicily, specifically involving the provinces of Reggio Calabria and Messina.

The implementation of the national intervention model for earthquake risk relief will be tested: Coordination Centers will be activated, working areas for urgent technical and medical relief activities and reception areas for the population will be set up, with the involvement of mobile columns, and post-seismic event assessment.

The operational scenario will see the simulation of a magnitude 6.0 earthquake causing the triggering of environmental effects such as landslides, melting, and tsunami, and with a significant impact on buildings and population.

The forecasting of the arrival of a tsunami will be an opportunity to conduct new test of IT-Alert, the public warning system developed with the aim of reaching citizens and delivering useful messages in case of imminent or ongoing major emergencies or catastrophic events.

The IT-alert system is currently undergoing an experimental phase. Exercises such as "Messina Strait Earthquake" are crucial in terms of feedback that will help verify what has been built, and to improve and implement the system with the aim of soon making it fully operational.

On Friday, November 4, citizens in the areas involved in the exercise will receive on their mobile phones messages with the disclaimer "CIVIL PROTECTION EXERCISE" with a different ringtone, providing information about the event and instructions to follow.

When the message will appear on the display, no further action will be possible on the mobile phone, except for phone calls. The mobile phone will return to its normal functions by touching the "OK" button in the message.