The Short-Term Countermeasures System of the Italian National Fire Service for post-earthquake response

After a major earthquake, the system for emergency management is activated. As part of a bigger effort involving other organizations, the Italian National Fire Service sets up a system for the management of the short-term countermeasures, called Short-Term Countermeasures System (STCS). The STCS contributes to coping with the emergency, providing a quick characterization of the emergency scenario and realizing short-term countermeasures to secure hazardous situations. This paper illustrates the background and the processes that led to the creation of the STCS, and delineates the procedures and methodologies adopted for the STCS operations. Finally, the paper shows the results obtained by STCS upon applying the procedures to a full-scale exercise and to national and international seismic emergencies.