Innovative systems developed by the Italian Fire and Rescue Service to detect radioactive contamination scenarios and flame accelerators in burned and partially burned materials

The job of the firefighter, and the first responder in general, has evolved over time. From a heroic and willing citizen who gave part of his time to protect the community of which he was part, he has transformed into a professional figure, in which the firefighter serves exclusively to deal with emergencies. The Italian National Fire and Rescue Service, the only one in the world to be structured into a single body for the whole nation, under a civil system, has undertaken this change with conviction. Today, in fact, the Italian firefighters are divided into specializations and often into specialist units, in order to be able to refine techniques and gain experience in resolving increasingly specialized interventions. Among these is the NBCR unit. This thesis work, which summarizes three years of doctoral work, is structured in two parts, the first on chemistry, which will delve into the topic of flame accelerators on solid matrices and their detectability by CBRN technicians. The second part, radiological, which will delve into the technologies used by first responders in the event of a radiological intervention and the performance of the tools at their disposal.