PROGRAM EVALUATION: U.S. SPEAKER FDNY CHIEF JOE

UNCLAS ROME 002195 SIPDIS FOR IIP/G/EUR CSIEMONH; IIP/G RCROSS-NAJAFI; IIP/T/GIC- CLACOVEY; EUR/PPD/RHILTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP PRC SUBJECT: PROGRAM EVALUATION: U.S. SPEAKER FDNY CHIEF JOE CALLAN, APRIL 18-20, 2002 ¶1. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: PA ROME HOSTED A NEW YORK FIREFIGHTER FOR TWO PROGRAMS, AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FIREFIGHTER SAFETY, ORGANIZED BY THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR, AND A CEREMONY AND PROGRAM IN CIVITAVECCHIA, NEAR ROME, APRIL 18-20. ¶2. DATES: APRIL 18-20, FISCAL YEAR: FY 2002 QUARTER: 3RD UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 02195 061623Z ¶3. JUSTIFICATION/OBJECTIVE: PA ROME REQUESTED SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMMING A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT AS A U.S. SPEAKER TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ITALIAN MINISTRY OF INTERIOR CONFERENCE ON SAFETY FOR FIREFIGHTERS, ENTITLED: "FIREFIGHTERS: ENSURING SAFE CONDITIONS IN RESCUE OPERATIONS," HELD IN ROME, APRIL 18- 19, 2002. THIS WAS A FOLLOW UP TO PA ROME'S SPEAKER PROGRAM WITH LOUIE CACCHIOLI AND JIM CARNEY FROM FDNY, DECEMBER 1-8, 2001. THE CONFERENCE BROUGHT TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM ITALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS, RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS, AND OFFICIALS FROM MINISTRIES OF INTERIOR AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO DISCUSS RESCUE OPERATIONS AND THE RISKS FACED BY FIREFIGHTERS AND RESCUE WORKERS FROM BOTH NATURAL DISASTERS AND ACTS OF TERROR. ADDED TO THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FURTHER PROGRAMMING IN CIVITAVECCHIA, A TOWN NEAR ROME. ¶4. MPP UMBRELLA THEMES: TERRORISM/COOPERATION ON GLOBAL ISSUES ¶5. AUDIENCES REACHED: CIVIC LEADERS, MINISTRY OF INTERIOR OFFICIALS, ACADEMICS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JOURNALISTS, FIREFIGHTERS ¶6. RESULT/IMPACT: EXCELLENT. AT THE ROME CONFERENCE, U.S. SPEAKER CALLAN DESCRIBED HIS EXPERIENCES AS HEAD OF OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH TOWER DURING THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS, AND SPOKE OF LESSONS LEARNED AT GROUND ZERO FOR THE NEW YORK FIREFIGHTERS. IN CIVITAVECCHIA, A CITY NEAR ROME, HE MET WITH THE MAYOR AND PARTICIPATED IN A CEREMONY IN FRONT OF A MEMORIAL PLAQUE DEDICATED TO THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 02195 061623Z VICTIMS OF THE SEPTEMBER ATTACKS. IN BOTH EVENTS, THE ITALIANS RESPONDED WITH ADMIRATION FOR THE NY FIREFIGHTERS AND EXPRESSED THEIR FRIENDSHIP AND SOLIDARITY TO THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND TO THE UNITED STATES. OVERALL, THE PROGRAM HELPED TO REINFORCE THE NEED TO COMBAT INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM BY BRINGING HOME TO THE ITALIAN AUDIENCES THE HUMAN COSTS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS. FINALLY, CALLAN'S PROGRAM RESONATED EVEN MORE WITH ITALIANS WHEN ITALY'S OWN TALLEST SKYSCRAPER, LOCATED IN MILAN, WAS HIT BY A SMALL PRIVATE PLANE ON APRIL 18, AND MANY AT FIRST FEARED THAT IT WAS A TERRORIST INCIDENT. ¶7. NON USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN-KIND SUPPORT: THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR HOSTED TWO DINNERS DURING THE CONFERENCE, WHILE THE CITY OF CIVITAVECCHIA HOSTED A LUNCH FOR CHIEF CALLAN. ¶8. QUALITY OF U.S. AND AGENCY OFFICE SUPPORT: GOOD. SEMBLER UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME02195 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED