Following the Call for Tender declared by Tuscany Region, Regional Hydrological Office, for “design and execution of works concerning the service of technological update and upgrade, and maintenance of the environmental data monitoring network for the Regional Tuscany Hydrological Service (SIRT) for the period up to 31.12.2018””, past 18th April 2013 SIAP+MICROS undersigned the contract with the Commitment, being the SIAP+MICROS’ offer the best one both from a technical and an economical point of view, among all the ones which took part in this procedure.

The awarded project is one of the most important even realized in Italy, both for the technological innovation and for the quantity of stations constituting the measuring network. The special technical tender, and accordingly the project, have been very innovative rather than what formerly realized in this sector. For the first time the Administrative Office strictly required, in a clear and mandatory way, the supplies and communication protocols which are going to be used, should extremely guarantee the openness of the whole system. This “openness” must be gained by the use of freely programmable data logger, by radio apparatus able to use standard communication protocol, and open source software apt for the central room software (GNU GPL3 license). The whole set will allow the Administration, in the future, freedom in network management and in assignment of maintenance activities regardless of installed technologies. In particular, the project foresees:

•  Technological upgrade of the acquisition and communication system of 321 meteo-hydro-precipitation stations in tele-measuring (Radio UHF and xG unit), of which 34 to be moved in new locations;
•  Update of 60 traditional stations (mechanic), with conversion into automatic stations;
•  Maintenance for the entire duration of the contract for the whole network.

Beside this, from a merging point of view, the regional hydrological Service decided to swallow in the project even the reactivation and maintenance of the Sea Network of Tuscany Region, formed by a couple of ondametric buoy and related coastal centers, beyond 2 current meter. This last activity foresees:

•  Supply of a new ondametric buoy to be installed offing the “Isola del Giglio”;
•  Maintenance for the entire duration of the contract of the Sea Network

The whole will be fulfilled with guarantee of performance level, both in terms of data security and acquisition time in central room of an absolute reference in an international level (in the case of a proprietary UHF radio network). In less than a minute more than 300 stations will be acquired by the central room!

We consider this project as the referral for the upgrading and development of the network in Italy and we are proud of give contribution to the fulfillment of the project itself.

Recently, inside the cooperation among Italian Army Command Alpine Troops and NATO in the mission in Afghanistan, Siap+Micros supplied a series of stations for meteo and snow level monitoring.

This kind of stations, described in the proper sheet (see the link), have been specially manufactured for situation like this, that is where the hard meterologic adversities can be so dangerous both for who live in climatologically hostile area and for the rescue teams, who must face with such difficulties during critical situation.

With great pleasure, besides the positive feedback from the customer, we report the presence of an article on “LA STAMPA” (read the original article in italian language or see below for the translation), Italian national newspaper.

“LA STAMPA – February 8th, 2013

Salang Pass
Major mario Renna – Alpine brigade command Taurinense

Salang Pass, in the east part of Afghanistan, is one of the highest street in the world (more than 3400m altitude) and even one of the most congested one, notwidstanding the risks that can occur during each winter because of the avalanches which often detached from the reliefs which are part of the Hindu Kush Massif, whose peaks exceed the 7.000m.

The track – completed in the 60s with support of then USSR – winds among ways at the foot of impressive cliffs and it’s an artery essential to connect the Kabul region to Central Asia.

Two years ago, on Feruary, because of the snow more than one hundred seventy people died, sweapt away by more than twenty landslives while they were on board of dozens of vehicles succession along a three km and a half way long. Chronicle at the time told of a huge number of cars and buses pushed down into crevines over the external edge of the roadway, and more than 2500 survivors extracted by rescuers.

The strong emotional impact the tragedy had got – taken also by international media – made spark in favour of Kabul’s government a project for the prevention of avalanche risk on the Salang, made by ISAF (the NATO mission in Afghanistan) in collaboration with the Italian Army Command Alpine Troops, which can boast forty years of experiences in the subject and in Italy manages the Meteomont, a meteorological service specialized on the mountain and operating over the whole Alps.

The project, targeted to built a national centre for avalanche prevention and forecast, has recently entered in the operative phase, with the implementation on the pass of stations for detection of meteorological condition – what is more important – for the snow quality and state. Stations, supply by Alpine Troopers, are equipped with satellite system, radio and GPS for data transmision to a central room for direct monitoring of the situation.

Before the stations activion, Command Alpine Troops trained thirtyseven operators from the Afghan Ministry for Public Works, hosted in Bolzano and in Tonale Passo in order to take class of a variety of meteorology and avalanche risk courses

During last class, four export have been qualified and they will take care about the training in Afghanistan for the staff who will gradually be employed in the prevention centre, addressed to supply reliable warning to the loal authorities and securities, and by reflex to the over 1.000 vehicles which daily passed during winter time along the Salang’s gorgesche, towerd over by tons of snow.”