At the end of September 2011 a simulation test of rapid-response to a seismic emergency was conducted in the frame of the current agreement between the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) and the Civil Protection Agency of the Emilia Romagna, with the objective of evaluating the level of preparedness reached in the emergency procedures established by INGV and the regional Civil protection Agency for a major earthquake. The simulation involved more than 50 researchers and technicians working in the offices and in the field in the pretended epicentral area. The INGV staff involved belongs to different INGV offices (Ancona, Arezzo, Bologna, Irpinia, Milan, Pisa and Rome). The preparation of the test event was based on the past experiences of real emergencies, primarily the long emergency in L’Aquila territory in 2009 [Margheriti et al., 2010; 2011; Moretti et al., 2011c], with a look to the new instances from INGV researchers and from outside (for example, instances of the Civil Protection). Despite the unexpected and the inevitable mistakes and the challenging efforts of putting together many different competences, with the need of satisfying the commitments made with the Civil Protection Agency of the Region of Emilia Romagna, it was immediately clear that the experience would improve our skills both from a professional and a human point of view. It was an important opportunity to interact and engage activities with colleagues to learn new things. This experience was then of paramount importance in the management of the seismic emergency in May 2012 in the Po Valley [Moretti et al., 2012].