Italian fire brigades grapple with staffing shortages and deploy drones against wildfires

The USB union of Italy’s fire service has warned that the province of Frosinone is suffering a critical shortage of personnel, especially at the Cassino detachment, which it says is jeopardising the efficiency of urgent technical rescue operations. The union cites reduced staff levels, national trends and the province’s complex hydro‑geological and industrial landscape, urging local mayors and the Ministry of the Interior to act before the upcoming summer fire‑season intensifies the strain on firefighters.

In the region of Emilia‑Romagna, the fire brigade in Ferrara has activated a special drone unit (Sapr) to enhance wildfire surveillance and response. Piloted by Francesco Faccini, the drones identify fire hotspots, relay data to a unified operations centre and support ground crews with precise targeting. The regional authorities have also introduced a yellow alert code, coordinated efforts with civil protection, the forest‑carabinieri and ARPAE, and deployed multiple fire squads, helicopters, and civil‑defence teams to monitor and combat the high fire risk during the summer months.