A phone call made by an “Italian man, without foreign accents and without recognizable dialect inflections” late in the morning, as reported by the concierge clerk, announces that there is a bomb at the Ministry of Culture. The alarm goes off and the police are called. After a few minutes, while employees, guests and journalists (a press conference with Lorella Cuccarini, Eleonora Abbagnato and Roberto Bolle was about to begin) were evacuated, the carabinieri, bomb squad and dog squad arrived at the Collegio Romano. But with them there is someone who monopolizes the shots and videos of those present: with his elegant movements, with the traditional blue and red livery of the force that masks cameras and very sophisticated technologies, the robot dog Saetta enters the scene.
Enlisting in December
It will be him together with the real dog Olimpia who will support the carabinieri who quickly reclaim the building, put an end to the alarm and allow the minister Gennaro Sangiuliano to return to his office. A successful first mission for Saetta, given that he was enlisted in December also in view of the 2025 Jubilee and until now he had “only” participated in the security services of the Sanremo festival.
Remote control
Controlled by a remote tablet (up to 150 metres), Saetta moved agilely on the asphalt (but can also go on rough terrain) and was the first to enter the Mic, operating alone and in maximum safety. He climbed the marble stairs of the historic building and began the inspection. After a while he found a backpack, took an x-ray which revealed its harmless contents (personal objects and a magazine, probably left by one of the people who ran into the street in a hurry), and opened it easily. Then he moved on to the rest of the rooms. After this first check, the bomb disposal squad and dog team entered into action. Also with them is the female wolfdog Olimpia, “organic” as the police call her and explain that at the moment her nose for explosives is truly irreplaceable.
Also sensitive to chemical agents
Led by a specialized carabinieri, Olimpia checked room by room. «This is a good step forward – explains one of the soldiers – because once upon a time the bomb squad would have worn a diving suit as protection and, putting his life at risk, would have opened the backpack hoping it wouldn’t explode…». In short, Lightning doesn’t bark, but she can open doors, identify chemical agents and help neutralize bombs in greater safety. Sangiuliano, who was at Luiss for a conference during the alarm, was alerted by a phone call from the head of the secretariat and head of cabinet. And then he held the press conference scheduled in the hotel in front of the Roman College.
Threats in Arabic to the minister
“It’s better this way, thank you very much to all of you” he said returning to his department and shaking hands with the top brass of the force. «Our police forces – he explained – are the best in the world. In recent months, writings in Arabic have appeared on the walls near the ministry, I still have photos of them. And I personally have received threats in Arabic on my Facebook profile. However, this does not mean that there is any connection.”
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2024-03-21 17:16:08