Many countries around the world have

civil defense Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, miti ...

organizations dedicated to protecting civilians from military attacks and providing rescue services after widespread disasters. In most countries, civil defense is a government-managed and often volunteer-staffed organization. Towards the end of the Cold War, a number of civil defense organizations have been disbanded or mothballed (as in the case of the

Royal Observer Corps The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was a civil defence organisation intended for the visual detection, identification, tracking and reporting of aircraft over Great Britain. It operated in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and the

United States civil defense United States civil defense refers to the use of civil defense in the history of the United States, which is the organized non-military effort to prepare Americans for military attack and similarly disastrous events. Late in the 20th century, th ...

), while others have changed their focuses into providing rescue services after natural disasters (as for the

State Emergency Service The State Emergency Service (SES) is the name used by a number of organisations in Australia that provide assistance during and after major incidents. Specifically, the service deals with floods, storms and tsunamis, but can also assist in oth ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Africa

Egypt

The Egyptian General Administration of Civil Defense is a department of

Ministry of Interior (Egypt) The Ministry of Interior of Egypt is a part of the Cabinet of Egypt. It is responsible for law enforcement in Egypt. The Ministry of Interior directs the Central Security Forces, around 410,000 in 2012; the National Police, around 500,000; and ...

, founded in 1875. Its main task is to respond and to protect civilians and animals in case of emergency or natural disasters."

Algeria

Nigeria

The

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is a paramilitary institution in Nigeria that was first introduced in May 2003 by the Nigerian Government, as the Lagos Civil Defence. The act was amended in 2007 to enhance the statutory duties o ...

"is a para-military agency of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is commissioned in 2003, to provide measures against threat and any form of attack or disaster against the nation and its citizenry."

Americas

Brazil

States and some cities have their own civil defense measures, overseen by the Ministry of Regional Development.

Canada

Canada's civil defense measures evolved over time. As with many other matters in Canada, responsibility is shared between the federal and provincial government. The first post-WWII civil defence co-ordinator was appointed in October 1948 "to supervise the work of federal, provincial and municipal authorities in planning for public air-raid shelters, emergency food and medical supplies, and the evacuation of likely target areas". In 1959, the Government of Canada, under

John Diefenbaker John George Diefenbaker ( ; September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) was the 13th prime minister of Canada, serving from 1957 to 1963. He was the only Progressive Conservative party leader between 1930 and 1979 to lead the party to an electio ...

handed authority for civilian defense to the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO). Large fallout shelters, known as " Diefenbunkers" were built at rural locations outside major cities across Canada at the height of the Cold War during the infancy of the ICBM threat. The EMO then became Emergency Planning Canada in 1974, then Emergency Preparedness Canada in 1986. In February 2001, the Government replaced Emergency Preparedness with the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP), responsible for civilian emergency planning in both peace and war. Among the "Core Missions" of the Canada First Defence Strategy (under the Canadian Department of National Defence) are to respond to terrorist attacks and other crises such as natural disasters. According to the Emergency Management Act, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is responsible for exercising leadership relating to emergency management in Canada by coordinating, among government institutions and in cooperation with the provinces and other entities, emergency management activities.

Caribbean

Anguilla Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territo ...

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda (, ) is a sovereign country in the West Indies. It lies at the juncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, at 17°N latitude. The country consists of two maj ...

, the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

, the

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...

Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

Montserrat Montserrat ( ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, with r ...

Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis (), officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is an island country and microstate consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of ...

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindian ...

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines () is an island country in the Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea wh ...

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

, and the

Turks and Caicos Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and n ...

, are members of the

Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) is an inter-regional supportive network of independent emergency units throughout the Caribbean region. Formed on September 1, 2005, as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency ( ...

, which organizes relief efforts after widespread disasters. Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are also members of the

Regional Security System The Regional Security System (RSS) is an international agreement for the defence and security of the eastern Caribbean region with future expansion planned with South America. History The Regional Security System was created in 1982 to counter ...

, which may also provide assistance during national emergencies.

Panama

The Panama Civil Defense Seismic Network has the capability of informing and warning citizens of hazardous conditions such as earthquakes, volcanoes, or tsunami.

United States

The

Office of Civilian Defense Office of Civilian Defense was a United States federal emergency war agency set up May 20, 1941, by to co-ordinate state and federal measures for protection of civilians in case of war emergency. Its two branches supervised protective function ...

was set up May 20, 1941, by Executive Order 8757, to co-ordinate state and federal measures for protection of civilians in case of war emergency. The Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) was organized on December 1, 1950, and distributed civil defense information until it was merged with FEMA in 1979. Between 1979 and 2001, the duties of Civil Defense were served by the

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

(FEMA). FEMA was absorbed into the

Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-terr ...

in 2003.

Asia

China

China continues to construct large public emergency shelters. Not less than three large (maximum capacity of around 8000) shelters are to be completed in the Shanghai area by 2012, with more planned. The ironic completion date of late 2012 has been dismissed as coincidence, with the true intent claimed to be a response to the 2008 Sichuan earthquakes, "as a precaution against possible natural disasters."

Indonesia

Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana or loosely translated into English as Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management is the government agency that has the authority of managing disaster in the national scale.

Israel

The

Israeli Home Front Command The Home Front Command ( he, פיקוד העורף, ''Pikud HaOref'') is an Israel Defense Forces regional command, created in February 1992 in response to the lessons of the Gulf War,Lebanese Civil Defense works alongside the

Lebanese Red Cross The Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) ( ar, الصليب الأحمر اللبناني, ''al-Ṣalīb al-aḥmar al-lubnānī''; french: Croix-Rouge libanaise) is a humanitarian organization and an auxiliary team to the medical service of the Lebanese Ar ...

and is administered by the

Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (Lebanon) The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities ( ar, وزارة الداخلية والبلديات) in Lebanon is responsible for governorate, caza, municipalities, federation of municipalities and village matters, in addition to political parti ...

. It provides search and rescue, fire-fighting and pre-hospital services.

Malaysia

The Malaysia Civil Defence Force is mainly in charge of disaster relief efforts. A separate department the

Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department ) , employees = 13,446 (February, 2013) , budget = , minister1_name = Nga Kor Ming , minister1_pfo = Minister of Local Government Development , minister2_name = , minister2_pfo = , deputyminister1_name = Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir , d ...

is in charge of the fire and rescue services in Malaysia.

Mongolia

The

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was established by the

State Great Khural The State Great Khural, ; "State Great Assembly" is the unicameral parliament of Mongolia.Montsame News Agency. ''Mongolia''. 2006, Foreign Service office of Montsame News Agency, , p. 40 It is located in the Government Palace. History ;1 ...

in June 2003. It was established with the duty to conduct nationwide post-disaster activities. All 21 ''

Aimag An aimag (, ; xal, әәмг, ), originally a Mongolian word meaning 'tribe', is an administrative subdivision in Mongolia, Russia, and in the Inner Mongolia region of China. Mongolia In Mongolia, an aimag is the first-level administrative ...

s'' as well as the capital of

Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north ce ...

have a NEMA division and department. Similarly to the

Post-Soviet The post-Soviet states, also known as the former Soviet Union (FSU), the former Soviet Republics and in Russia as the near abroad (russian: links=no, ближнее зарубежье, blizhneye zarubezhye), are the 15 sovereign states that wer ...

Ministry of Emergency Situations, it broadly develops environmental legislation and implements activities on disaster prevention and search and rescue work.

Pakistan

The Directorate General of Civil Defence provides civil defence services in Pakistan.

Philippines

The Office of Civil Defense began as the National Civil Defense Administration, established on August 18, 1954 through the Civil Defense Act of 1954. The

Department of National Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philippi ...

exercises executive supervision over the Office of Civil Defense. On September 27, 2010 the 'Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010' was passed to strengthen the country's disaster risk reduction and management system in response to Typhoon Ondoy.

Singapore

The Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) was established by the Civil Defense Act of 1986 as an independent organization under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The SCDF and the Singapore Fire Service were formally merged in 1989.

South Korea

On December 15, 2010,

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

held its largest civil defense drill in since 1975, in response to the

Bombardment of Yeonpyeong A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire or by dropping bombs from aircraft on fortifications, combatants, or towns and buildings. Prior to World War I, the term was only applied to the bombardment of defenseless or undefended objects ...

Sri Lanka

The

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Department of Civil Security is a

force which is tasked as an

auxiliary Auxiliary may refer to: * A backup site or system In language * Auxiliary language (disambiguation) * Auxiliary verb In military and law enforcement * Auxiliary police * Auxiliaries, civilians or quasi-military personnel who provide support of ...

to the Sri Lanka Police. It evolved from the "Home Guards" created in response to attacks by the

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...

Syria

The Syrian Civil Defence Forces, also known as Self-Protection Squads, is a

civil defence Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mit ...

organisation that operates in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

. It is also known as The People's Army. Directors-General of the organisation have included

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Abdel-Chani Jamal. The forces are divided into units or squads.

Taiwan

There are more than 117,000 air raid shelters in Taiwan, some dating back to the Japanese colonial period. Many more obsolete shelters as well as military bunkers have been repurposed as commercial, artistic, or public buildings.

Turkmenistan

Independence_Day_Parade_-_Flickr_-_Kerri-Jo_(3)

The General Directorate of Civil Defense and Rescue ( tk, Raýat goranmak we halas ediş baş müdirligi) is part of the

Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan The Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan ( Turkmen: Türkmenistanyň Goranmak ministrligi) is a government agency under the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan which is the executive body in implementing defense policies in Turkmenistan. The current Minis ...

. It is the civil defense agency of

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...

that is similar organizationally to the

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

Ministry of Emergency Situations. It conducts exercises in the territories of industrial enterprises with non-militarized rescue workers, developing tactics in the event of various natural disasters and/or rescue operations. The directorate opened the Center for Emergency Management in January 2011.

UAE

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

has the

Dubai Civil Defence The Dubai Civil Defense (DCD) is an Emergency Management Organisation of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Vision To have the UAE as one of the most secure and safest countries in the world. Organisation Structure The organisation is headed by Ma ...

organization.

Europe

European Union

In addition to providing funding to humanitarian aid, the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...

's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG-ECHO) is in charge of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to coordinate the response to disasters in Europe and beyond and contributes to at least 75% of the transport and/or operational costs of deployments. Established in 2001, the Mechanism fosters cooperation among national civil protection authorities across Europe. Currently 34 countries are members of the Mechanism; all 27 EU Member States in addition to

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

and

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

. The Mechanism was set up to enable coordinated assistance from the participating states to victims of natural and man-made disasters in Europe and elsewhere.

Albania

Civil Protection in Albania is coordinated by ''Drejtoria e Përgjithshme e Emergjencave Civile'' (General Directorate of Civil Emergencies), a department within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Albania. Established in 2001, this Directorate deals with preparedness and response to natural and man-made disasters.

Belgium

The Belgian Civil Protection is coordinated by the Federal Public Service Interior (the former Ministry of the Interior) and operates as a specialized second-line service. It is not a first-response service like the fire departments, but is only called upon when specialized assistance is needed. Its main tasks revolve around CBRN incidents, search and rescue operations and heavy technical assistance. As of 2016, the Belgian Civil Protection employs about 1,100 people, of which 450 professionals and 650 volunteers.

Cyprus

The Cyprus Civil Defense Force was established in 1964 in response to the Turkish bombings of Tilliria in order to protect the civilian population and to help it recover from the immediate effects of hostilities or disasters.

Denmark

The Danish Emergency Management Agency is a

governmental agency A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administratio ...

under the Ministry of Defence chiefly tasked with preparing for and responding to natural disasters and national emergencies in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. The DEMA is also capable of deploying abroad on request from other states. It evolved from the wartime ''Civilforsvarsstyrelsen'' (Civil Defense Agency), and the general public still often refer to it as the Civil Defense.

Finland

Civil defense in Finland is a civilian effort, coordinated by the Ministry of Interior through the Civil Defense Act of 1958, to provide shelters in high-risk areas, evacuate civilian populations from threatened areas, and limit damage from natural disasters.

France

The Direction de la Défense de la Sécurité Civile (Department of Civil Defense and Emergency Preparedness) is the civil defence agency of the French Government, which includes the Sous-Direction des Sapeur-pompiers and the Sous-Direction des opérations de Secours et de la coopération civilo-militaire (Rescue operation and civil-military cooperation branch).

Germany

The German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW Technisches Hilfswerk) is an organization of voluntary experts as an authority in the department of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, founded in 1950.

East Germany

Greece

In 1995, the Civil defense was institutionally established with the establishment of the General Secretariat fo
Civil Protection
at the

Ministry of the Interior An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

Ireland

Civil Defence Ireland, established in 1950 in response to the threat of nuclear disaster following " The Emergency", is operated at local authority level in conjunction with the

Department of Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

Isle of Man

Established in 1949, the IOMCDC is an emergency service of the

Isle of Man Government The Isle of Man Government ( gv, Reiltys Ellan Vannin) is the government of the Isle of Man. The formal head of the Isle of Man Government is the Lieutenant Governor, the personal representative of Charles III. The executive head is the Chief M ...

, with a wide brief for emergency response, civilian evacuation, flood control, disaster management, emergency communications, and mass decontamination.

Italy

The

Civil Protection Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, miti ...

deals at national level with the forecast, prevention, management and overcoming of human and natural disasters and in emergency situations. It also deals with sector such as forest fire and hydrogeological risk.

Monaco

The Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers is a military force, consisting of 135 military personnel and 25 civilian employees, which handles fire-fighting and civil defense duties.

Norway

The Norwegian Civil Defence support the police, fire departments and health care during larger incidents which those departments do not have the manpower to handle.

Portugal

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, Autoridade Nacional de Proteção Civil (ANPC) works in prevention, preparation, response and recovery activities against natural and technological risks, as well as preventing and fighting rural fires.

Romania

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations ( ro, Inspectoratul General pentru Situaţii de Urgenţă) is the governmental body responsible for nationwide civil defence. Each

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

has a bureau in charge of

emergency management Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actuall ...

in the area. IGSU is accountable for the construction and maintenance of public

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

shelters. The concept of centralized civil defence was established by law in 1933, through the Royal Decree 433, to which Col.

Gheorghe Pohrib Gheorghe Pohrib was a colonel of the Romanian firefighters. He organized the Romanian firefighter units after World War I and extended their role to cover other activities related to civil defense. Reorganization of firefighter units The Roman ...

made essential contributions. It continues to be part of various ministries, such as Internal Affairs and

Defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

Russia

During the Soviet era, specialized civil defence subunits were maintained in order to provide assistance to the population after bombing raids and nuclear, biological or chemical attacks. And today, by law, the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Affairs for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters civil defence troops must retain such a wartime role. Thus they are charged with the organisation and coordination of Russian military forces for the purpose of civil defence not only during natural and manmade disasters, but also during wartime.

San Marino

The Civil Police and the are responsible for civil defence, as well as tax collection, domestic security, and traffic control.

Spain

Spain started the civil defence policies in the 1940s and since 1960s, the

Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Emergencies The Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Emergencies (DGPCE) is a component of the Spain, Spanish Ministry of the Interior (Spain), Department of the Interior responsible for promoting, planning and coordinating the various actors involved ...

, a component of the

has existed to develop the government policy on civil protection. In addition, the

Spanish regions eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...

and

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

also have their own civil defence plans. Also, since 2006 there is a military unit, the

Military Emergencies Unit The Emergency Military Unit ( es, Unidad Militar de Emergencias, UME; ) is a branch of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for providing disaster relief throughout Spain mainly, and abroad if required. It is the newest branch of the Spanish A ...

Sweden

Swedish civil defense "consists of a diverse range of activities conducted by society to strengthen the ability to cope with a state of heightened alert and war." Sweden's objectives of civil defence are to: protect the civilian population; contribute to peace and security; and strengthen societies ability to prevent and manage severe peacetime emergencies.

Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), under the

Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports The Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS, german: Eidgenössisches Departement für Verteidigung, Bevölkerungsschutz und Sport, french: Département fédéral de la défense, de la protection de la population et des ...

, is responsible for the coordination of civil defense services. It operates the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) and the Spiez Laboratory, which is responsible for weapons of mass destruction research and protection. Switzerland built an extensive network of

fallout shelters A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designated to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War. Duri ...

during the cold war, including the Sonnenberg Tunnel. The reference

Nuclear War Survival Skills ''Nuclear War Survival Skills'' or NWSS, by Cresson Kearny, is a civil defense manual. It contains information gleaned from research performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the Cold War, as well as from Kearny's extensive jungle liv ...

declared that, as of 1986, "Switzerland has the best civil defense system, one that already includes blast shelters for over 85 percent of all its citizens." As of 2006, there were about 300,000 shelters built in private residences, institutions and hospitals, as well as 5,100 public shelters for a total of 8.6 million places, a level of coverage equal to 114% of the population. Switzerland also has mandatory stockpiling of essential goods.

Ukraine

Formerly a munisterial level agency, today the State Emergency Service of Ukraine is part of

Ministry of Internal Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

. Before 2005, in Ukraine existed the Civil Defense Troops.

United Kingdom

The

Civil Defence Corps The Civil Defence Corps (CDC) was a civilian volunteer organisation established in Great Britain in 1949 to mobilise and take local control of the affected area in the aftermath of a major national emergency, principally envisaged as being a Col ...

was a civilian volunteer organization established in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

in 1949 as the primary organization for civil defence work. It was disbanded in 1968. The unit has now been re-established. The Joint Civil Aid Corps – a voluntary Civil Defence (Emergency Support) organisation. Its concept is to provide opportunities to learn and train in skills to support communities and professional services during emergencies. There are three elements to the Joint Civil Aid Corps (JCAC): The Civil Aid Volunteer Corps (CAVC). The Community Resilience Volunteers (CRVs). The Civil Cadet Corps (CCC).

Oceania

Australia

Australia's State Emergency Service is a fully volunteer organization intended to provide emergency help during and after officially declared disasters. The SES is one of many public safety organizations using the

Australasian Inter-Service Incident Management System In Australia, the Australasian Inter-Service Incident Management System (AIIMS) is the nationally recognised system of incident management for the nation's fire and emergency service agencies. Organisational principles and structure are used to ...

New Zealand

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is the public civil defense department of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in New Zealand. The agency administers the

Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

in its duties. NEMA's child agency is the

National Crisis Management Centre The National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC), also known as the Beehive Bunker, is the New Zealand government crisis management command centre situated under the "Beehive" building in Wellington. It is designed to withstand earthquakes rated 'Inte ...

References

{{reflist

External links

National Emergency Management Agency (Mongolia)Civil Protection
(

Ministry of Interior An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

).
Protezione Civile
Italian Civil Defense
Dublin Civil Defence
Ireland
SEBEV Search and Rescue
(originally a Civil Defence team in the UK)
Russian Ministry of Emergency SituationsArmenian Ministry of Emergency Situations

Directorate General of Civil DefenseNorwegian Civil DefenceCommittee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of TajikistanOfficial Website of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Civil defense Emergency management by country Lists by country