2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION ...... 05
II. COMMUNITY COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF CIVIL PROTECTION ...... 07
II.1 Introduction ...... 08 II.2 The Objectives...... 08 II.3 Overview: Civil protection in the European Union...... 09 II.4 Management Committee & Permanent Network of National Correspondents.....09 II.5 Main activities in Community co-operation...... 09 II.6 Community Action programme...... 10 II.6.1 Major projects II.6.2 Other specific projects II.6.3 Training workshops II.6.4 Simulation exercises II.7. Mutual assistance and operational instruments...... 12 II.7.1 Operational manual II.7.2 24h/24h Operational structure II.7.3 Secondment of experts II.8. Other activities ...... 14 II.8.1 International co-operation. II.9.2 Single European Emergency call number: 1-1-2 II.9. Conclusion ...... 15
III. TYPES, MAIN CHARACTERISTICS AND DISASTERS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION...... 16
III.1 Types of Major Disasters...... 17 III.2 Characteristics of Major Disasters...... 17 A. Natural Disasters B. Civil Protection Aspects of Technological Disasters C. Environmental Aspects of Disasters III.3 Disasters in the European Union since 1950 ...... 22
IV. METHODOLOGY OF EMERGENCY PLANNING...... 40
IV.1 Planning Principles...... 41 IV.2 Types of Emergency Plan...... 43 IV.3 Emergency Planning...... 44
3 V. MULTILATERAL AND BILATERAL AGREEMENTS...... 45
V.1 Multilateral Agreements ...... 46 V.2 Bilateral Agreements on General Hazards...... 46
VI. NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF CIVIL PROTECTION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION...... 48
VI.1 Austria...... 49 VI.2 Belgium...... 53 VI.3 Denmark ...... 55 VI.4 Germany...... 58 VI.5 Spain ...... 61 VI.6 Finland...... 65 VI.7 France...... 68 VI.8 Greece ...... 71 VI.9 Ireland...... 74 VI.10 Italy ...... 77 VI.11 Luxembourg...... 81 VI.12 Netherlands...... 84 VI.13 Portugal...... 88 VI.14 Sweden...... 91 VI.15 United Kingdom...... 94
VII. LEGAL FOUNDATIONS RELATING TO THE ORGANIZATION OF INTERVENTION IN AN EMERGENCY ...... 97
VIII. DOCUMENTATION CENTRES ...... 120
IX. LIST OF TEXTS CONCERNING COMMUNITY COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF CIVIL PROTECTION...... 122
X. ANNEX : NUCLEAR EMERGENCIES...... 124
4 PART I
INTRODUCTION
5 I. INTRODUCTION
1. The purpose of this Vade-mecum is to give a general overview of the measures taken by the Member States as well as at Community level in order to deal with disasters.
It covers topics which are mainly of interest :
- to responsible officials working in the field of civil protection at the national, regional and local level, particularly in the area of preparedness for emergencies, - to volunteers and non-governmental organizations, - to interested members of the general public.
This includes the description of disasters, the emergency plan anticipating disasters, as well as the organization of intervention in the Member States and a summary of the agreements signed between Member States.
It also presents the progress achieved by the European Commission together with the national services in setting up cooperation in the field of civil protection.
2. This Vade-mecum is not primarily concerned with:
- the management of nuclear accidents already covered by other Community arrangements and by cooperation within the framework of the Euratom Treaty. A brief outline of the National Emergencies arrangements are presented in an annex to the present document,
- the management of major marine pollution accidents, already covered by a specific Community Action Programme, including the Community Information System, and by several bilateral and multilateral agreements (cf., inter alia, Council Resolution of 26 June 1978, OJ N° C 162 of 8/7/78, p. 1 concerning the setting up of an action programme of the European Communities on the control and reduction of pollution caused by hydrocarbons discharged at sea).
6 PART II
COMMUNITY COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF CIVIL PROTECTION II.1 INTRODUCTION
In May 1985, a first ministerial meeting held in Rome, laid the foundations for Community co-operation in the field of Civil Protection. Between 1985 and 1994 six resolutions were adopted. Implementation of these resolutions resulted in the creation of several operational instruments covering both the preparedness of those involved in civil protection and the response in the event of a disaster.
All Civil Protection initiatives at Community level are implemented on the basis of the subsidiarity principle laid down in the Treaty. In fact the Commission’s aim has been to support and encourage efforts made at national, regional and local level.
At the end of 1997 the Council improved the foundations for co-operation still further, by adopting a Decision establishing a Community action programme in the field of civil protection. The Action Programme's implementation is the main priority of the Commission in the field of Civil Protection from now on.
Finally, meetings of directors-general for civil protection in the Member States of the European Union, the objective of which is to give the major policy orientation to this co- operation, are held annually. The directors-general from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway also take part to these meetings.
II.2 THE OBJECTIVES
The objectives of Community co-operation in the field of Civil Protection are to help ensure better protection for people, the environment and property in the event of natural and technological disasters.
More specifically, it has the following objectives: · to support and supplement efforts at national, regional and local level with regard to disaster prevention, the preparedness of those responsible for civil protection and the intervention in the event of disaster; · to contribute to the information of the public with a view to increasing the level of self-protection of the European citizens · to establish a framework for effective and rapid co-operation between national civil protection services when mutual assistance is needed; · to enhance the coherence of actions undertaken at international level in the field of civil protection especially in the context of c-ooperation with the candidate Central and Eastern European countries in view of enlargement and with the partners in the Mediterranean region.
8 II.3 OVERVIEW: CIVIL PROTECTION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
The European Union suffers regularly from major disasters. Examples in previous decades include earthquakes, floods, landslides, forest fires in southern Europe, environmental emergencies etc.
EARTHQUAKES FLOODS 1980 Italy, 2739 dead 1973 Spain, 350 dead 1976 Italy, 977 dead 1963 Spain, 500 dead 1953 Greece, 455 dead 1962 Germany, 400 dead
LANDSLIDES FOREST FIRES 1998 Italy, 159 dead France, Italy, Spain, Portugal 1976 United Kingdom, 144 dead 1963 Italy 1759 dead
TECHNOLOGICAL DISASTERS 1994 Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Estonia shipwrecked, 865 dead 1988 U.K. North Sea oil platform Explosion, 167 dead 1987 Belgium, Herald of Free Enterprise ferry disaster, 193 dead
II.4 THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND THE PERMANENT NETWORK OF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS
All initiatives taken in the field of civil protection at Community level are examined, discussed and co-ordinated by the Management Committee for Civil protection and the Permanent Network of National Correspondents (PNNC). These groups are composed of high-level representatives of the national administrations.
II.5 MAIN ACTIVITIES IN COMMUNITY CO-OPERATION Commission action in the field of Civil Protection has been carried out under various resolutions and the Council Decision of 1997 establishing a Community Action Programme. Below are details of the actions that have been carried out concerning: · Major Projects · Other Specific Projects · Training · Simulation Exercises · Operational Instruments and Mutual Assistance. (Operational Manual, 24hr/24hr Operational Structure, Secondment of Expertise).
9 II.6 COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMMME
Under the Community action programme the scope of Community co-operation in the field of Civil Protection has been widened to encompass the area of prevention of disasters and a greater emphasis is placed on public information. The programme also allows for the continuation of measures, namely training workshops and simulation exercises, proven to be particularly effective in the past. Working with clearly defined ‘rules of the game’ has also facilitated the launch of major projects. It is hoped that this will serve to make co-operation in Civil Protection more effective as a whole. In addition to major projects other specific projects will be supported.
II.6.1 MAJOR PROJECTS
These are managed and co-financed by one or more Member States, assisted by a core group composed of a small number of experts form other Member States. All Member States take part in the projects as do EEA countries.
The five projects underway are in the following areas:
· Exchange of Experts · Prevention of Disasters · Crisis Management · Disaster Medicine · Information to the Public
EXCHANGE OF EXPERTS This system permits those responsible for civil protection to gain direct knowledge of methods and techniques used in other Member States’ administrations, by those with similar responsibilities, but working within a different system. It could also permit them to follow or provide periods of training in the Civil Protection service of another Member State. It is through this system, in particular, that those responsible at a regional and local level benefit most. The duration of these exchanges will vary in length from a few days to a few weeks depending on the type of exchange involved.
PREVENTION OF DISASTERS The aim here is to establish common principles and guidelines in a number of areas using the experiences of all the Member States. In addition to the priorities listed below, other specific risks and issues will be addressed at a later stage. · The best use of risk assessment techniques. · The prevention of flash floods and the mitigation of their effects. · The reduction of the risks of fires.
10 CRISIS MANAGEMENT This project will provide Member States with guidance in improving the management of crisis situations generated by natural and technological disasters. In particular, areas aimed at, are: · The early identification of the evolution of a emergency situation into a crisis, · Providing recommendations for the optimisation of public information and warning messages to the public,, · Communication during crisis
DISASTER MEDICINE The objective of this project is to encourage efficient medical co-operation in emergency situations and the establishment of a network of EU disaster medicine specialists. In addition, a multi-media database will be created and common training programmes will be conducted.
INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC A global system of information will be established. It is intended to provide the European citizens with information, which will help to increase their level of self-protection. The concrete results to be achieved under this project will be the elaboration of common tools and methods as well as the convergence in the long term of signals and warning messages to the public.
II.6.2 OTHER SPECIFIC PROJECTS
In addition to these major projects a number of other projects will be supported. The results from some of these will then feed back into the major projects. · Accidental Water Pollution, · Early Warning for Floods, · Civil Protection in Urban Areas, · Accidents involving Ferries carrying Passengers · Psychological Support As an example, findings from the project on early warning for floods and that of Civil Protection in urban areas will contribute to aspects of the major project “Prevention of Disasters”.
II.6.3 TRAINING WORKSHOPS
It should be noted that, in the framework of the projects already mentioned, training workshops will be organised. These workshops are based on self-training and feedback, and are not academic in nature - it would be inappropriate to invite senior officials from the Member States just to listen to lectures given by theorists. Instead, the Commission's aim is to invite each one of these senior officials to explain their own methods, techniques, successes and failures to colleagues from other Member States. It is worth noting that all such meetings organised to date, have produced undeniable synergy and the participants have
11 learned important lessons from the experience of their colleagues in other Member States.
Since December 1991, workshops have been organised on forest fires, accidents involving chemicals, crisis management, communication in crisis situations, earthquakes, public information-awareness-education, training for crisis management and disaster prevention. Building on these successes, the Community action programme in the field of Civil Protection incorporates officially the system of self-training workshops, often by their integration into the major projects.
Above and beyond the training aspects, these workshops also enable participants to come up with proposals for further Community initiatives, such as pilot projects or new activities in certain fields. The workshops thus provide the Commission with direct input from Civil Protection professionals, enabling it to include some of the requirements identified among its priorities.
II.6.4 SIMULATION EXERCISES
Simulation exercises supported at Community level are designed primarily as field tests of the efficiency of the emergency arrangements in place in the Member States. Workshops, attended by senior officials, are organised in parallel with these exercises and serve as a forum for exchanging experiences on key issues relating to the simulated emergency.
Exercises organised to date have simulated, inter alia, forest fire fighting, an aviation accident, an accident involving chemicals, an accident in a nuclear power station involving evacuation of the local population, an accident in the Channel tunnel, the intervention of large numbers of volunteers and other emergency actions
II.7 MUTUAL ASSISTANCE AND OPERATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
For the implementation of the resolution of 8 July 1991 on improving mutual aid between Member States in the event of natural or technological disasters, the Commission, in collaboration with the Civil Protection Authorities of Member States, has established a series of operational instruments. These include:
· the Operational Manual, · the 24h/24h Operational Structure. · Secondment of Expertise
12 II.7.1 OPERATIONAL MANUAL
To assist the provision of mutual assistance, the Commission has, in close collaboration with the national authorities, produced an operational manual of civil protection in the European Community. The manual gives details on:
· the various national contact points in each Member State (competent authorities, contact points on permanent standby, national correspondents) and the contact points at the Commission, · the group of co-operation officers for forest fires, · the entry points for specialised expertise, · concise information on response resources available in the Member States.
The manual also lays down guidelines for experts and explains the conditions under which the Commission finances operations. The manual is aimed at national decision-makers and provides information enabling them to decide rapidly when mutual assistance is required.
II.7.2 24H/24H OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE
An operational structure on 24-hour call has been set up at the Commission to provide response back up for Member States during emergencies. This is a small structure within the Civil Protection Unit whose basic function is to collect and disseminate information and to mobilise expertise from the national administrations. It is ready, at the request of a Member State for example, to relay a message to the other Member States; or, in response to a request, to seek out and mobilise expert advice.
II.7.3 SECONDMENT OF EXPERTS
Concerning this expert advice, the operational manual already contains an inventory of the expertise available in several areas of Civil Protection, namely:
· evaluation and liaison tasks, · chemicals expertise, · forest fires, · environmental emergencies.
This expertise - and any other which might prove necessary - can be mobilised immediately and made available to the authorities which request it. The total costs relating to secondment are borne by the Commission.
13 II.8 OTHER ACTIVITIES
II.8.1 INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION
The most important areas of international co-operation in the field of Civil Protection are:
· The Euro-Med pilot project financed by the MEDA programme1. The broad objective is to contribute to political and security confidence-building in the Mediterranean. This pilot project, for the creation of a Euro-Med system of disaster prevention, mitigation and management of natural and man-made disasters, has been established in the Civil Protection field on the initiative of Italy and Egypt. Activities in training, exchange of experts and networking of Civil Protection schools are planned
· Following on from a workshop initiated by the Commission, Slovenia volunteered to take the role of lead country in a co-operation project in the field of Civil Protection under the PHARE programme2. The aim is to bring the Civil Protection policies and practices in the CEECs and the EU closer together. Activities will include the networking of CEEC and EU experts and other initiatives -such as common workshops and training, etc- will also be developed. It should be stressed that as far as Civil Protection is concerned this project is a key element in the enlargement process.
II.8.2 SINGLE EUROPEAN EMERGENCY CALL NUMBER : 1-1-2
1-1-2 is the single European emergency call number for the European Union. It was established by Council Decision of 29 July 1991. This decision allows that European citizens in distress situations to call 1-1-2 and get rescue through to the emergency services in all Member States. Thus, anyone travelling within the Union will have to remember only one number and this guarantees a quicker and more efficient intervention
1 MEDA- Mesures d’accompagnement aux réformes des structures économiques et sociales dans les pays tiers Méditerranéens. Accompanying measures for economic and social structural reforms in Mediterranean countries. 2 PHARE (Poland, Hungary Aid for Reconstruction of the Economy) was initially established to help Poland and Hungary in their transition to market economies. It has now been extended to all Central and Eastern European countries applying for EU membership.
14 II.9 CONCLUSION
The work carried out so far in the implementation of the action programme, in particular the launch of the major projects, signals the initiation of a long-term process. Through this process a safer environment for the European citizen will be created and this will contribute to ensuring their safer circulation throughout the EU.
In particular, better prevention of natural and technological disasters and the approximation, in the long term, of signals and warnings messages for the public will contribute to the reduction of loss of life and damage to both the environment property.
15 PART III
TYPES, MAIN CHARACTERISTICS AND DISASTERS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
16 III.1 TYPES OF MAJOR DISASTERS
The following disasters are considered to be a risk to some or all of the Member States in the Union:
A. NATURAL DISASTERS
- Avalanches, - Dam bursts, - Drought, hot, humid, summer days - Earthquakes, - Floods, - Forest fires, - Landslides, - Tidal waves, - Tornadoes, - Volcanic eruptions
B. CIVIL PROTECTION ASPECTS OF TECHNOLOGICAL DISASTERS
- Chemical and industrial accidents, - Transportation and storage of chemicals, - Transport accidents, - Nuclear emergencies
C. ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF DISASTERS
Those Member States which have been affected by a disaster on more than one occasion have generally developed appropriate controls and set up specific emergency plans to contain the consequences.
III.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF MAJOR DISASTERS
For contingency planning, it is useful to consider the following parameters and their probabilities:
- frequency, - magnitude, - nature, - location, - development dynamics, - power.
17 A. NATURAL DISASTERS Characteristics Consequences
1. Avalanches · this phenomenon is observed in · the avalanche totally destroys everything mountainous regions. In many cases, in its path; it can be forecast on the basis of · the number of lives lost depends on the characteristics of the local climate time of day, the nature of the structures in and topography the path of the avalanche, the time that passes before help arrives and the difficulty with which the disaster point can be reached.
2. Hot Humid Summer days · this phenomenon does not occur very · a large number of people become ill or frequently and only during the die as a result of heatstroke; there will be summer season; it is essentially numerous cases of sunstroke, and the restricted to the urban centres and health of weak persons deteriorates; regions with high population density. · negative effect on agriculture and animal It can be forecast by the husbandry. Crops are damaged. meteorological service; · the hot humid summer days may continue for several days with temperatures of between 40° and 50°C in the shade.
3. Droughts · this phenomenon is a common · crops and plantations are destroyed, occurrence in the Community's animals become lethargic; southern countries, particularly · greater risk of forest fires; during the summer season. · greater risk of aquatic pollution; · local population and animals may be poisoned by drinking water of uncertain quality.
4. Dam bursts, floods & tidal waves · the most frequent type of natural · the number of victims may be very high disaster; due to the population density in these · two types of flood: regions which is generally above average a) slowly rising flood due to an due to the fertility of the land; abnormal rise in river levels after · mass exodus from the region; rain and/or due to melting snow; · large number of people left homeless; its magnitude can be forecast; · disruption of communications and traffic b) sudden flood due to heavy rain both with the outside world and within in certain regions or following the region concerned; another disaster (earthquake, tidal · crops and harvests are destroyed; major wave, dam burst, etc.); loss of livestock; · although the consequences are · pollution of soil through polluted sludge. extensive, the areas at risk can be identified in advance, such as river beds, deltas and other low-lying areas.
18 5. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions · the disaster occurs suddenly and can · floods, landslides and fires may occur as & landslides rarely be forecast; a result of the initial disaster; The same characteristics · the effects may be limited to an area · the initial disaster may cause apply in general for volcanic around the epicentre or a larger technological accidents in chemical and eruptions and landslides. region may be affected, depending on nuclear facilities located within the the size and intensity of the disaster zone; earthquake; · large number of people killed, injured or · high percentage of destruction. missing; · numerous people become homeless out of fear of a recurrence; · risk of epidemics due to polluted drinking water and decomposing bodies which have not been cleared away; · people generally remain on the spot; · road, rail and air traffic is interrupted, making it difficult to reach the victims and bring in relief supplies; · considerable resources are required for the work of clearing up; · crops remain virtually undamaged.
6. Forest fires · forest fires are a frequent occurrence · From an environmental point of view, in the Mediterranean region, destruction of the plant cover in the particularly during the summer disaster regions can lead to ecological season; destabilizations like desertification, · three types of situation: erosion, landslides and in some mountain a) fires affecting only a small area regions, flash floods. (85%) · Sometimes, due to peculiar situations, b) major fires (13%) like high density of people in some tourist c) catastrophic fires (2%) . areas, there is a major risk of serious accidents. · The loss of forest and shrublands generates considerable environmental concern among the public.
7. Tornadoes · this phenomenon moves at great · two-fold effect: speed; it can be forecast in some a) flooding (due to rain or tidal cases and mainly affects coastal waves), regions; b) very heavy storms; · a tornado can wreak destruction over · the water ebbing away in river beds and thousands of square kilometers. drainage channels causes problems with regard to run-off and drainage; · large number of people killed, injured or missing; · major loss of livestock;
19 B. CIVIL PROTECTION ASPECTS Characteristics Consequences OF TECHNOLOGICAL DISASTERS
1. Chemical and Industrial · the probability is high and the · high and widespread risk of poisoning Accidents magnitude of the disaster is frequently for people and animals; also high risk considerable; of aquatic and soil pollution; · the sources of danger in major · crops may be destroyed; installations are numerous and varied; · the disaster area may have to be · industrial complexes are frequently declared a "forbidden zone" for a located near residential areas; period of time. · the sequence of events leading up to an accident may proceed very rapidly, so that emergency units rarely have time to organize themselves. The dangerous substances released in the accident pose an immediate threat; · it is difficult to detect and analyze the substances released, as well as to assess their effects; · external civil protection units, particularly fire brigades, can be called in even if plants have their own security systems.
2. Transportation and Storage of · various possible locations; · high and widespread risk of poisoning Chemicals · the substances involved are difficult to for people and animals; also high risk identify; of aquatic and soil pollution; · experts, manuals or databases must be · the disaster area may have to be consulted in order to obtain information declared a "forbidden zone" for a about the products; period of time. · a mobile danger threatening port areas, roads, inland waterways and customs posts in particular.
3. Transport accidents · major accidents usually involving · possible secondary risk of fires and railways and aircraft; structural damage; · little or no prior warning, so that · possible high number of fatalities and emergency units rarely have time to injuries. organize themselves; · specialized technical resources (eg. special lifting gear, sensing equipment) may be necessary; · hazardous release of chemicals, including fuel, may result; · a mobile danger which could strike anywhere.
4. Nuclear emergencies Nuclear emergencies are not primarily dealt with in this Vade-mecum. An Operational Manual for the Emergencies arrangements has been established. A brief outline of the National Emergencies arrangements are in annex 1.
20 C. ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS Characteristics Consequences OF DISASTERS
· these aspects are often additional to · very often surface water and ground other "classical" aspects taken into water pollution; account in the emergency · air pollution and health threat; planning/response; · soil contamination. · environmental consequences appear to receive relatively low priority relative to civil protection; · information on environment consequences of disasters is very scarce.
21 III.3 DISASTERS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION SINCE 1950
COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
AUSTRIA 1951 Train accident at Langenwang, Styria: 20 dead 1954 Flood in Upper Austria : 4 billion schilling damage 1954 Avalanche disaster in Vorarlberg: 125 dead, 53 million schilling damage 1958 Flood in Mur- und Mürztal, Styria: 250 million schilling damage 1965 Flood in Upper Austria : 1 billion schilling damage 1965 Flood in the Drau in Carinthia 1966 Flood in the Drau in Carinthia 1972 Storm disaster in the Styria: 9 dead, 700 million schilling damage 1979 Storm in Upper Austria : 2 billion schilling damage 1987 Oil pollution of the Danube over a length of 150 km 1990 Storm disaster in Upper Austria : 2 billion schilling damage 1991 Flood in Upper Austria : 2 billion schilling damage 1992 Forest fire (12 days) in Carinthia, district Hermagor
22 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
BELGIUM 1953 Tidal wave and flooding of the province of Western Flanders 1956 Mine disaster at Marcinelle (Charleroi): 262 dead 1967 Fire in the department store "L'Innovation" (Brussels): 325 dead 1983 Earthquake in Liège: 1 dead, 26 injured 1985 Hooliganism in the Heysel stadium: 39 dead, 400 injured 1987 Ferry Herald of Free Enterprise capsize at Zeebrugge : 193 dead 1990 Major storms : 19 dead, dozens of people injured, hundreds of hectares of woodland destroyed 1993 Floods in the Meuse, Scheldt and Yser basins : important damages spread out over 193 communes in 9 provinces (on 10). 1995 Floods in the Scheldt and mainly in the Meuse basins :major damage spread over 127 communes in 9 provinces. 1995 Fire in the Switel Hotel (Antwerp) at New Year's eve: 15 dead 1998 Flash floods affecting 173 communes in 5 provinces, causing damages estimated at several billions Belgian francs.
23 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
DENMARK 1951 Explosion in a mine depot at Naval Base Copenhagen: 16 dead, approx. 50 injured 1959 Fire and explosion on a tourist boat at a lake near Haderslev (Southern Jutland): 53 dead 1964 Explosion in a chemical plant in Roenland (Western Jutland): 3 dead 1964 Explosion at a gasworks in Copenhagen: 4 dead, 200 injured and extensive damage 1967 Railway accident at Odense (Funen): 11 dead, 30 injured 1972 Tank lorry accident in Simmersted (Southern Jutland): Massive phenol pollution in the water supply system and environmental damage to the streams in the area 1973 Hotel fire in Copenhagen: 35 dead 1975 Fisher trawler loss in Hanstholm harbour (Northern Jutland) during a hurricane: 11 dead 1975 Several big forest fires in Jutland during weeks 1976 A 1,4 million acres moorland fire at Aabybro (Nothern Jutland): Fire action during one month 1984 Major storms in Jutland: extensive damage to buildings 1984 Oil slick from the Ibn Rochd: pollution at numerous points on the Jutland and Zeeland coasts 1985 Oil slick from the Jan of Bremen: 20 km of marsh polluted at the island of Læsoe (Kattegat) 1988 Railway accident near Soroe (Zeeland): 8 dead, 72 injured
24 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
FINLAND 1954 Fire in a children's home in Kangasala: 9 dead 1956 A bus drove off a raft and into lake in Konnevesi: 15 dead 1957 Collision of two passenger trains in Kuurila: 26 dead, 47 injured 1959 Fire in a prison in Köyliö: 16 dead 1959 Collision of motorboats in Pielinen: 15 dead 1960 Fire in an old people's home in Lapinlahti: 31 dead 1961 Air crash in Koivulahti: 25 dead 1963 Ammonium nitrate explosion in Oulu: 10 dead, 16 injured 1963 Air crash in Mariehamm: 19 dead, 2 injured 1964 Collision of a tug and a motorboat off Rauma: 22 dead 1965 Explosion in an ammunition depot in Uusikylä: 4 dead, 69 injured 1969 Explosion in a dynamite factory in Bromarv: 4 dead, 15 injured 1972 A dredger went down in Pietarsaari: 16 dead 1973 Large fire at an oil tank farm in Kokkola 1974 Collision of a lorry and a Dutch coach in Laukaa: 12 dead, 18 injured 1976 Explosion in a cartridge factory at Lapua: 40 dead 1976 A lorry drove off a bridge and into river in the district of Porvoo: 5 dead, 11 injured 1978 A viking-boat went down off Hanko: 10 dead 1978 Air crash in Rissala: 18 dead 1978 LPG explosion in a hotel in Heinola: 3 dead, 3 injured 1979 Fire in an old people's home in Virrat: 27 dead 1979 Shipwreck of M/S Malmi in the Baltic: 14 dead 1981 Fire in a cotton mill in Porvoo 1982 Storm in Northern Finland: 2 dead 1983 Fire in a supermarket in Turku: 6 injured 1984 Helicopter crash in Ahvenisto: 5 dead, 26 injured 1986 Shipwreck of M/S Karelia near Gotska Sandö, 6 dead, 9 injured
1986 Railway accident in Lapua: 2 injured (classified as danger situation)
1986 Railway accident in Turenki: 2 injured (classified as danger situation)
25 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
FINLAND 1987 Chemical leak in Kotka 1987 Chemical leak in Hamina 1988 Boating accident in Lempäälä Channel: 4 dead 1988 Air crash near Ilmajoki airport: 6 dead, 6 injured 1989 Air crash near Helsinki-Vantaa airport: 7 dead, 1 injured 1989 Fire in a 30 000 m³ storage tank for isohexane in Porvoo: 600 firemen responded 1989 Fire in five chemical tank wagons at railway yard in Hamina: 60 firemen responded 1989 Collision of M/T Tebostar and a Russian fishing boat south of Gotland: 15 dead (in Sweden) 1990 Fire in the engine-room of M/S Mariella in the Gulf of Finland (classified as danger situation) 1990 A barger combination capsized off Hanko: 8 dead, 2 injured 1991 Dangerous situation caused by a Turkish airplane near Helsinki- Malmi airport (classified as danger situation) 1991 A BTR-60 transportation tank went down in Taipalsaari: 7 dead, 2 injured 1993 Explosion in a plastic explosives factory in Hanko: 2 injured (classified as danger situation) 1993 Dangerous situation in the airspace of Helsinki-Vantaa airport (classified as danger situation)
1993 Grounding of M/S Wasa Queen off Vaasa (classified as danger situation)
1994 Grounding of M/S Sally Albatross off Porkkala (classified as danger situation) 1994 (Shipwreck of M/S Estonia in Northern Baltic off Utö: 852 dead, 137 injured) (Estonian ship, international sea area) 1994 Failure in landing of a Tunisian airplane in Kajaani airport: 3 injured (classified as danger situation) 1995 Grounding of M/S Silja Europa in the archipelago of Stockholm (classified as danger situation) (in Sweden)
1995 Grounding of M/S Tallink off Helsinki (classified as danger situation)
1995 Grounding of hydrofoil ship Laura off Helsinki (classified as danger situation)
1995 Fire in a hotel in Kuhmoinen: 1 dead, 8 injured (classified as danger situation) 1996 Collapse of high-density pulp mass tank in Valkeakoski, 1 dead (classified as danger situation) 1996 Railway accident in Jokela: 4 dead 1998 Railway accident in Jyväskylä: 10 dead
26 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
GERMANY 1954 Flooding in Bavaria: damage estimated at more than 50 million ECU 1962 Tidal wave and flooding in Hamburg: 400 dead, more than 100.000 people affected, 50 dyke bursts 1975 Forest fires in Lower Saxony: 2.000 homeless, 10.000 hectares of agricultural and forest land destroyed 1979 Heavy snow fall in Schleswig-Holstein and in the provinces of Groningen and Friesland: traffic paralysed completely (Germany/the Netherlands) 1986 Fire at Sandoz in Basel: heavy pollution of the Rhine river (Germany/Switzerland) 1987 Explosion of tanker holding 36,000 l of gasoline at Herborn: 5 dead, 38 injured 1988 Aircraft crashes at Ramstein air display: 70 dead, more than 400 injured 1997 Oder flood: damage 647 Millions DM, 2.300 evacuated 1998 ICE train accident in Eschede, 101 dead
27 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
GREECE 1953 Earthquake in the Ionian islands: 455 dead, 4,400 injured, 27,700 buildings damaged or destroyed 1954 Earthquake in Karditsa: 25 dead, 157 injured, 6,600 buildings damaged or destroyed 1956 Earthquake in Amorgos: 53 dead, 100 injured, 530 buildings damaged or destroyed 1957 Earthquake in Rodos: 18 dead, 7,2 Richter 1965 Earthquake in Arkadia: 18 dead, 7,2 Richter 1968 Earthquake in Ag. Eustratios: 20 dead, 7,7 Richter 1976 Earthquake in Thessaloniki region: 45 dead, 220 injured, major damage 1978 Earthquake in Thessaloniki region: 45 dead, 6,5 Richter 1981 Earthquake in the southern regions: 19 dead, 500 injured, 12,220 buildings damaged or destroyed 1986 Earthquake in Kalamata: 20 dead, 300 injured, 2,000 buildings damaged or destroyed 1987 Hot humid summer days in Athens, Thessaloniki and Larisa: 1,500 dead, several thousands of heatstroke victims 1994 Flash floods in Athens (N. Ionia): 14 dead 1995 Earthquake in Aigio: 16 dead, 6,1 Richter 1997 Ukrainian aircraft JAK 42 crashes on the territory of Pieria Mountain: 71 dead (passengers and aircrew) 1999 Earthquake in Athens (5,9 Richter): 138 dead, 300 injured, 36 fully collapsed houses, 4 industries fully collapsed, homeless over 70.000
28 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
SPAIN 1959 Dam burst and flooding at Ribadelago (Zamora): 144 dead 1962 Flooding in Barcelona: 500 dead 1973 Flooding at Murcia, Granada and Almería: 350 dead 1978 Explosion of a gas tank truck at San Carlos de la Rápida (Tarragona): 216 dead, several hundreds injured
Every summer Forest fires in Galicia, Andalucía, Cataluña and Valencia since 1980
1983 Drought 1985 Tanker explosion in Algeciras: 32 dead
29 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
FRANCE 1959 Malpasset dam burst at Fréjus: 421 dead 1967 Oil slick from the Torrey Canyon along the Breton and English coasts: pollution at numerous points on both coasts (France/United Kingdom) 1970 Avalanches in Val d'Isère and St. Gervais: 120 dead 1976 Eruption of the Soufrière volcano (Guadeloupe): 70.000 people evacuated for 4 months 1978 Oil slick from the Amoco Cadiz on the Breton coast: coastline polluted with 230.000 tonnes of oil over a length of 230 km 1982-1986 Droughts and major forest fires on Corsica and in certain southern departments 1987 Torrential flood at Grand Bornand: 27 dead Storm in Brittany: 11 dead 1988 River flooding in Nîmes: 11 dead 1991 Explosion and fire on tanker Haven in the golf of Genova: 2 dead, 3 missing; 110.000 tonnes of crude lost, half of which burnt, the remainder polluting Italian and French coasts 1991 Fire in Barbotan hot springs at Cazaubon: 20 dead 1991 Explosion during take-in of petrol by tankers at Saint Merblain: 10.000 m³ of super, 5.000 m³ of Diesel spilled, 6 injured 1991 Train collision in Melun station: 16 dead, 51 injured 1992 Airbus plane crash: 87 dead 1992 Terrace collapse in Furiani stadium: 18 dead, 700 injured 1992 Forest fires in Corsica: 15.000 hectares destroyed, 1 dead 1992 Floods in Southern France: 42 dead, 10 missing
30 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
IRELAND 1979 Fire and explosion aboard a petrol tanker at Bantry Bay: 50 dead, port facilities damaged 1981 Fire in a nightclub: 48 dead, 214 injured
31 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
ITALY 1951 Flooding of the Po delta 1962 Earthquake in Irpinia: 16 dead, 200 injured 1963 Landslide and flooding in Vaiont-Longarone: 1,759 dead 1966 Flooding in Florence: 29 dead; 1,500 works of art and 1,300,000 volume damaged 1968 Earthquake in the valley of Belice (Sicily): 296 dead; 650 injured; 30,000 homeless 1970 Flooding in the Po plains 1970 Flooding in Genova: 25 dead 1972 Fire and explosion of tank following sabotage in Trieste-San Dorligo; 18 injured 1976 Two earthquakes in Frioul: 977dead; 189,000 homeless; 2,400 injured people 1976 Accident at a chemical factory in Seveso 1978 Leak of ammonia from brake valve during unloading of a ship in Manfredonia; 1,000 evacuees 1978 Release of hydrogen sulphide and chromic sulphate during unloading of tank lorry in Genoa, 4 dead and 74 wounded 1979 BLEVE and fireball of oil in Priolo; 1 dead and 5 wounded 1979 Earthquake in Umbria: 5 dead, numerous people injured, 2,000 homeless 1980 Earthquake in Campania/Basilicata: 2,739 dead; 8,816 injured, 334,000 homeless 1981 Release of chlorine following upsetting of tank lorry in Foggia, 1 dead and 14 wounded 1982 Fireball from collision tank lorry in motorway Florence-sea; 6 dead and 30 wounded 1983-1985 Earth movements at Pozzuoli (Naples) 1984 Earthquake in Central Italy: 7,500 homeless 1985 Bursting of Cavalese-Stava dam with flooding of the village of Tesero: 269 dead or missing, destructive mud wave with a volume of 250,000 m³
32 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
ITALY 1985 Release of oil during loading in the Port of Naples. UVCE and fire with 7 dead, 19 wounded and 2,300 evacuees 1986 Landslide at Palma Campania (Naples): 6 dead Landslide at Senise: 8 dead 1987 Flooding in Northern Italy and landslide in Valtellina: 53 dead
1987 Fire insulating material during maintenance operations in shipyard in the Port of Ravenna; 13 dead 1989 Forest fires on Sardinia: 18 dead
1990 Earthquake in Southwestern Sicily: 12 dead, 99 injured, 14,596 homeless 1991 Collision of ferry with tanker at Livorno: ferry gutted by fire, 147 passengers dead 1991 River floodings in Sicily, in the provinces of Enna and Caltanissetta: 15 dead 1992 Etna eruption: high volcanic activity for several months; for the first time in the history of volcanic events, successful diversion of stream of lava 1992 Landslide of Chies d'Alpago mountain in the province of Belluno: volume of landslide estimated at more than 1 million m³; major damage 1994 Severe flooding and landslides in North West (Piemont): Damage caused to roads, bridges and buildings: 65 victims, 8 missing, 87 injured, 5,309 homeless 1995 - 1996 Severe floodings in Versilia (Tuscany) damages caused to roads, bridges and buildings: 5 victims, 60 injured, 210 homeless 1997 Earthquakes in Umbria and Marche: 11 victims, 420 injured, 63.000 homeless. Severe damages to historical buildings, churches and towers 1998 Severe flood in Crotone (Calabria): 7 victims, 120 injured, 250 homeless 1998 Severe mudflood in Sarno and Quindici (Campania): 200 victims, 350 injured, 1.000 homeless 1998 Flood in Friuli with heavy damages to roads and bridges
33 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
LUXEMBURG 1990 Major storms: some people injured; dozens of hectares of woodland destroyed. 1993 Floods in the Alzette, Moselle and Sauer basins, important material damages in several villages. 1995 Floods in the Alzette, Moselle and Sauer basins, important material damages in several villages. 1997 2 railway accidents near Luxembourg City, 1 dead, 125 injured.
34 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
THE 1953 Tidal wave and flooding of the province of Zeeland: 2,000 dead, 300,000 NETHERLANDS people affected 1960 Air crash near Franeker (Friesland): 7 dead 1961 Railway accident at Harmelen (province of Utrecht): 95 dead 1965 Tanker explosion in Rotterdam: 16 dead 1968 Fire in a chemical factory in Rotterdam 1971 Fire in a chemical factory in Amsterdam: 9 dead, 2 injured 1971 Hotel fire in Eindhoven (Northern Brabant): 11 dead, 12 injured 1971 Fire in a care centre in Rolde (Groningen province): 13 dead 1972 Road accident in Prinsenbeek (Northern Brabant): 13 dead, 30 injured 1975 Explosion in a chemical factory in Geleen (Limburg): 14 dead, 109 injured 1976 Railway accident at Schiedam (Southern Holland): 24 dead 1976 Forest fires near Arnhem (Gelderlande) 1979 Heavy snowfall in the provinces of Groningen and Friesland, and in Schleswig-Holstein: traffic completely paralysed (The Netherlands/Germany) 1981 Air crash at Moerdijk (Northern Brabant): 17 dead 1990 Heavy gales during three days: severe damage 1991 Explosion in fireworks factory at Culemborg: 2 dead, extensive damage 1991 Fire at DSM chemical plant in Rotterdam: 6 dead, 7 missing 1992 Earthquake in Limburg province: extensive damage 1992 Explosion and fire at CINDU chemical plant in Uithoorn: 3 dead 1992 Whirlwind at Ameland: 1 dead, extensive damage 1992 Plane crash onto Amsterdam block of flats: more than 50 dead 1993 Floods further to high level waters in the Meuse river in the province of Limburg: heavy material damages 1995 Floods further to high level waters in the Rhine and Meuse rivers: 250.000 inhabitants and millions cattle evacuated. 1996 Airplane accident at Eindhoven Airport: 34 dead, 7 seriously injured 1996 Airplane accident on the Waddenzee: 32 dead 1998 Floods further to heavy rains in various provincies: extensive material damages
35 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
PORTUGAL 1957 Volcanic eruption in Azores : thousand of homeless 1963 Collapse of roofing of the Cais Sodré railway-station in Lisboa : 49 dead 1964 Railway accident at Porto : 60 dead 1966 Forest fire in Serra de Sintra: 26 dead, 2,660 hectare of forest destroyed 1967 Flood at Lisboa area due to rainstorm: 500 dead, landslides, buildings and other infrastructures destroyed 1975 Oil slick from Jacob Maersk near Porto : 80,000 ton.
1977 Aircraft crash at Funchal (Madeira) : 19 dead, 33 injured
1979 Flood in Satarém : 2 dead, 1,187 homeless
1980 Earthquake in Açores: 50 dead, 86 injured, 21,296 homeless; ports, buildings and communication systems destroyed 1980 Oil slick from the Capeon in Setúbal : 15 km of beach polluted
1983 Flood at Lisboa due to rainstorm: 10 dead, 5,000 homeless, damage estimated at 100 million ECU 1985 Forest fires north of the Tejo and south of Douro river: 14 dead, 150,000 hectare destroyed, damage estimated 20 million ECU 1985 Railway accident near Viseu: 64 dead, 100 injured 1986 Forest fires in the central region: 13 dead, 100,000 hectare destroyed, damage estimated 20 million ECU 1987 Major storms on Algarve coast: houses and crops seriously damaged 1987 Forest fires in the north/central region: 5 dead, 80,000 hectare destroyed 1988 Fire in Chiado historical centre of Lisboa: 2 dead, 18 buildings destroyed 1989 Aircraft crash at Santa Maria in Açores: 145 dead 1989 Oil slick from the Marão: 20 km of beach polluted by 6,000 ton 1989 Flood in Tejo banks caused by severe climate: heavy damage mainly at Ribatejo area
36 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
PORTUGAL 1989 Oil slick from the Aragon near the island of Porto Santo: coastline polluted by 25,000 ton 1989 Forest fires north of Tejo: 126,000 hectare destroyed 1989 Flood in Vila Real: 1,500 homeless 1990 Forest fires north of Tejo: 137,000 hectare destroyed 1990 Oil slick from the Cypriot tanker Ogennitor in Sines harbour: 500 km² polluted by several tens of ton 1991 Forest fires north of Tejo: 182,000 hectare destroyed 1991 Aircraft crash at Funchal: 86 injured 1991 Aircraft crash at Funchal airport: 6 dead 1992 Aircraft crash at Faro airport: 58 dead, 238 injured 1995 Forest fires in the north/central region: 170,000 hectare destroyed 1995-1996 Floods in districts of Porto, Aveiro, Coimbra, Viseu, Satarém and Lisboa: 12 dead, 1,340 homeless, damage estimated 80 million ECU 1997 Floods and mudslides in Açores: 29 dead, 60 homeless, damage estimated 15 million ECU 1997 Floods in Lisboa, Algarve and Alentejo: 11 dead, 44 injured, 300 homeless, 95 collapsed/destroyed buildings, destruction of agriculture assets and crops 1998 Earthquake in Açores: 8 dead, 110 injured, 1,600 homeless, 500 collapsed/destroyed houses, damage estimated 60 million ECU
37 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
SWEDEN 1956 Train accident, Ställdalen: 20 dead, 8 injured
1964 Air crash, Ängelholm: 31 dead, 6 injured
1969 Storm, south and west Sweden: 10 dead, 200 injured, estimated cost 1,900 million SEK
1977 Landslide, Tuve: 9 dead, 62 injured, estimated cost 670 million SEK
1978 Hotel fire, Borås: 20 dead, 35 injured, estimated cost 35 million SEK
1979 Oil pollution along the Swedish east coast
1979 Bridge collapse, Tjörn: 8 dead
1986 Radioactive fallout following the Chernobyl accident, primarily in the north 1987 Train accident, Lerum: 9 dead, 130 injured 1990 Fire on the ship Sally Albatross under repair, estimated cost 660 million SEK 1990 Fire on the ship Scandinavian Star at sea, 158 dead, 30 injured 1994 Estonia is shipwrecked, 865 dead. (The ship went down on international water, however the majority of the passengers were from Sweden which makes it a major Swedish disaster) 1998 Discotheque fire, Gothenburg: 63 dead, 223 injured 1999 Fire on Princess Ragnhild: all passengers, 1100, were rescued and evacuated to other ships by forces from Sweden, Norway and Denmark. There were no casualties.
38 COUNTRIES DATES DISASTERS
UNITED 1952 Smog in London: 12.000 dead due to the smog KINGDOM 1953 Surge tide and flooding on the East coast 1967 Oil slick from the Torrey Canyon along the Breton and English coasts: pollution at numerous points on both coasts (France/United Kingdom) 1976 Landslide at a colliery: 144 dead 1976 Explosion and fire in a large chemical factory in Flixboro: 28 dead 1985 Stadium fire at Bradford City FC: 50 dead, 300 injured 1985 Fire on aircraft at Manchester Airport: 54 dead 1987 Ferry Herald of Free Enterprise capsize at Zeebrugge: 193 dead (Belgium/United Kingdom) 1987 Underground station fire at Kings Cross: 31 dead 1987 Severe storms: 21 dead
1988 North Sea Piper Alpha oil platform explosion: 167 dead 1988 Rail crash at Clapham: 32 dead, 120 injured 1988 Terrorist attack on Pan Am Jumbo over Lockerbie: 259 passengers and crew died along with 11 people on the ground 1989 Civil aircraft crash at Kegworth: 47 dead, 79 injured 1989 Football stadium disaster at Hillsborough: 95 crushed to death, more than 700 injured 1989 "Marchioness" pleasure boat disaster on the Thames: 51 drowned 1990 Towyn surge tide flooding on the Welsh coast 1990 Storms in Southern England: 45 dead
39 PART IV
METHODOLOGY OF EMERGENCY PLANNING IV.1 PLANNING PRINCIPLES
The responsibilities of the public authorities in an emergency are generally the same as in normal situations: protecting and safeguarding people and property, public health and environment. A disaster merely imposes additional responsibilities without changing their nature. a) When an emergency plan anticipating disasters is considered desirable it should be implemented by persons representing the public authorities and guaranteeing its correct implementation. At the local level, it should be drawn up by persons capable of judging the effect of the measures advocated. b) An emergency plan anticipating disasters which has been drawn up by governments may cover three phases:
1. Emergency phase, 2. Transitional reaction phase, 3. Reconstruction phase. c) An emergency plan anticipating disasters could examine the effects, some of which are common to the majority of disasters. These effects essentially concern the following:
- population: The effect of a disaster is frequently expressed in terms of the number of people killed, injured and sick. Homelessness, dismembered families and missing persons are also frequent consequences. The loss of personal possessions is important. - institutions and social services: Public buildings are partly or completely destroyed; Transport is disorganized. Communications and other public services are disrupted. Finally, the accumulation of debris interferes with all the community's normal activities. Nevertheless, the needs of the people must be seen to. These needs are essentially the same in every disaster, coinciding with man's four basic requirements: food, clothing, accommodation and medical care; - environment: water, soil and air can be affected by dangerous substances. Agricultural areas are for some time not usable as well as drinking water facilities and in some cases even housing areas.
The authorities will take action as soon as possible in order to fulfil their duties, namely maintaining order, clearing the debris, restoring public services, especially the supply of electricity and water, sewage systems, telephone and mail services. They should also provide information as to the assistance available and ensure that the social services operate smoothly. Roads, bridges, railways, ports and airports must be repaired or rebuilt. d) An emergency plan anticipating disasters may be based on a legal regulation in the form of a law or decree setting up a central organization in a Member State or a region charged with planning and executing all rescue activities. However, such a legal basis is not a prerequisite in every Member State. Within such a central organization, the authority and responsibility could rest with the ministry, service or administration whose daily activities
41 correspond most closely with the needs created by disasters. Their central structures will make it possible to set up appropriate administrative links on other levels throughout the entire disaster area. The head of this organization and a representative of each authority involved could form a coordination committee to prepare decisions and transmit them to the various executive levels, thus assisting the person with national responsibility in making his decisions.
This committee may, for instance, be made up of representatives of the following offices and services:
- civil protection, - police, - fire services, - Red Cross, - environmental services, - meteorological service (including the hydrological and seismological services), - national planning office, - public works and buildings, - public utilities (electricity, water, gas, sanitary services), - food and agriculture, - trade and industry, - finance, - telecommunications, - transport, - education and information, - rescue and reconstruction, - public health, - armed forces, etc.
The tasks of a national coordination committee should be as follows:
During the disaster:
- to set up a centre or headquarters responsible for the coordination of the rescue operations, - to set up and maintain contact with the representatives of international institutions with programmes of action in the State concerned (in case of multilateral agreements), - to coordinate the aid and rescue operations of all public and private organizations on local, national and international level, - to allocate the available emergency resources to the regions affected, - to verify, control and coordinate use of the means of transport and communications, - to coordinate the dissemination of information concerning the disaster.
42 After the disaster:
- to implement reconstruction programmes, - to evaluate the efficiency of rescue operations, - to keep up-to-date records of all activities during the disaster and compile reports for the competent organizations and the public, - to ensure that lessons learnt from the disaster are taken into account in future national development plans.
IV.2 TYPES OF EMERGENCY PLAN
There are two types of emergency plan:
- those dealing with general hazards, - those dealing with specific hazards.
Where appropriate, an outline plan may be drawn up at all administrative levels for dealing with general hazards. This can then be supplemented by specific plans for dealing with known hazards in a given area. The information to be given in operational emergency plans includes:
- a precise description of the area or region and its infrastructure, - the most important danger indicators, - the resources available: specialist rescue teams, experts, special equipment, food supplies, - plan of action and appropriate organization of rescue operations, - organization of specific responsibilities.
To assist management, checklists indicating who is responsible for specific operations could be helpful, such as:
- a checklist for the period during and after the disaster management stage, - a list of measures to be taken in specific emergencies and of the bodies which must be informed and/or convened by law, in particular.
43 IV.3 EMERGENCY PLANNING A general structure of a disaster plan is indicated below:
INTRODUCTION Legislative authority Related documents THE AIM DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS THE COUNTRY (REGION, STATE) Topography Climate Environment Demography Industry Governmental Organization THE THREAT History Natural events (by type) Industrial etc. accidents (by type) COMMAND AND COORDINATION Powers and responsibilities at each level Command authorities and posts Description and role of emergency services PLANNING GROUPS Arrangements for sectoral planning (medical, transport, communications, environmental consequences, etc.) EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE Arrangements and authority for requesting assistance from outside the planning area EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRES ACTIVATION OF ORGANIZATION Warning systems Receipt and dissemination of warnings OPERATIONAL INFORMATION COUNTER-DISASTER Government departments ORGANIZATIONS Department of home affairs Local government Voluntary organizations Arrangements for liaison ADMINISTRATION FINANCIAL PROCEDURES SUPPLY Emergency purchasing procedures International assistance Powers for requisitioning PUBLIC INFORMATION Announcements (requiring action) Information releases Emergency broadcasting Multi-language broadcasts SUB-PLANS Communications; police; fire + rescue services; medical environment; welfare; housing; public works; transport; power; registration and tracing service
44 PART V
MULTILATERAL & BILATERAL AGREEMENTS V.1 MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS
Member States are party to several kinds of multilateral agreements, among them agreements on cooperation in the field of nuclear events, inland water pollution, and agreements on aircraft accidents. Also the Member States of NATO have an agreement on support in disastrous events.
V.2 BILATERAL AGREEMENTS ON GENERAL HAZARDS
Many of the Member States have general bilateral agreements for mutual assistance in responding to disasters covered by this Vade-mecum. A summary of the usual provisions is shown below.
Area of application Mutual assistance in emergencies
Main provisions -Mutual information on hazards -Easing of formalities for passing across common borders -No financial reimbursement -Arrangements for providing external assistance
Mobilization/command Identification of competent authorities with, where appropriate, different administrative levels
Definition of disaster covered by the agreement Emergencies which cannot be dealt with by normal means
Priority measures covered by the agreement Responsibility of requesting parties
Maintenance of public order Responsibility of requesting parties
Communication between contracting parties Communication channels usually ministries of interior or ministries responsible for civil protection
Preparatory consultation Scientific and joint training of rescue workers
Official information Between the authorities responsible for disaster management
Training of rescue workers National standards; cooperation on training
Insurance Responsibility of offering parties
Liability of rescue workers Towards requesting party: exemption. Towards third parties: responsibility of requesting party
Reimbursement No financial compensation: responsibility of requesting party for supplies, accommodation, etc.
46 The following Member States have general agreements on a bilateral basis for the provision of emergency assistance:
B DK D GR E F I IRL L NL P
B X X X X DK X D X X X X X GR E X X F X X X X X X I X X IRL L X X X NL X X P X X UK A X FIN S X
47 PART VI
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF CIVIL PROTECTION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION updating 12.1995
VI.1 CIVIL PROTECTION IN AUSTRIA
General tasks
Austria is a Federal Republic with a population of slightly more than 7.8 million people and an area of about 83,000 square kilometres. The nine federal provinces are Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Vienna.
Civil protection is defined as the sum total of all precautionary measures and activities designed to enable the population to survive in any type of crisis situation .
Civil protection thus includes all humanitarian activities to manage disasters and other major catastrophes. It includes precautionary action against natural or technical accidents, accidents in the chemical industry as well as accidents during the transport of hazardous goods or nuclear accidents.
Civil protection in Austria must be seen as a pluralist system to prevent disasters and provide aid, embedded in the hexagonal responsibility borne by the authorities at the federal, provincial, district and local level, by relief organizations and by the population. Civil protection means safety for the population by preparatory measures taken by the:
- authorities, - relief organizations, and - individual citizens.
That means, civil protection in Austria is subdivided into three sections:
• Precautions taken by the authorities Besides providing the legal framework and the platform for international cooperation, the authorities are responsible for warning and informing the population in case of imminent danger and for the coordination of relief and rescue operations.
• Precautions taken by the relief and rescue organizations The work and activities of these organizations are of great importance for civil protection in Austria. Since these voluntary organizations are highly motivated, well-trained and optimally equipped, there is no need for Austria to have a separate civil protection force as instituted in other countries.
• Precautions taken by the general public; individual self-protection All precautions taken by the authorities and the rescue organizations would not be effective if the public did not accept them and was not prepared to cooperate. Special attention must thus be given to thorough information and training of the public on self- protection.
49 Information and communication systems
Crucial prerequisites for effective crisis management are ensuring prompt communication with a minimum of delay and harmonising of all activities. For this purpose, a Federal Alarm Centre has been installed in the Federal Ministry of the Interior, and Provincial Alarm Centres in the provinces. The Federal Alarm Centre serves as a permanently staffed headquarters for supraregional and international disaster control.
The Federal Alarm Centre has clearly defined tasks within the warning and alerting system to be operated jointly by the Federal and provincial governments, ie. : - to recognize hazardous situations, - to give out warnings, and - to give out alerts, - to coordinate tasks in disaster prevention, and - to become active within supraregional and international disaster relief.
The Federal Alarm Centre acts as contact point as defined in bilateral and multilateral disaster relief and radiation protection agreements for: - reporting on incidents and accidents, - reporting on occurrences that may generate anxiety in the population, - ways of cooperation, and - possible assistance in the case of a disaster.
Should a supraregional or international disaster or crisis occur, the Federal Alarm Centre serves as a: - reporting, coordinating and liaison point for the provincial alarm centres, - central information exchange between all bodies concerned in Austria and abroad, and - message relay center for the National Crisis Management Board in case of crises.
The Provincial Alarm Centres are civil protection centres at the provincial level. Their task is to warn and alert the public in case of imminent danger and to coordinate rescue and relief forces during major disasters or catastrophes.
Warning and alerting system
A central concern of civil protection is to warn and alert the population as quickly as possible.
This is done by sirens which in their final implementation stage will be controlled centrally and regionally, by districts and locally. The currently available 7000 sirens - which can be triggered by the Federal Alarm Centre, too - reach about 60 % of the population.
In addition to its other communication networks, the Federal Ministry of the Interior has installed a "dedicated telephone line" which is an independent, fixed telephone network for single and conference calls to relay messages from the Federal Alarm Centre to its provincial counterparts and other relevant bodies.
50 The Austrian Radio and Television Corporation has been recruited to broadcast information in a crisis situation. Around-the-clock operation with central and regional broadcasting stations has been ensured.
Precautions taken by the relief organizations
In contrast to other States, Austria has no special civil protection units. Civil protection in Austria is provided by existing relief organizations, in particular the fire fighting squads, the Austrian Red Cross, the Workers's Ambulance Service, the Knights of St.John Ambulance Service, the Knights of Malta Hospital Service and the Mountain Rescue Service. In these organizations, some 300,000 well-trained and equipped men and women (about 4 % of the population) are available - mostly on a voluntary basis - to assume civil protection tasks.
Efficient civil protection would, of course, be impossible without the assistance of the law enforcement units and the Federal Army who play a key role in civil protection.
Precautions taken by individual citizens - information of the population
A civil protection concept cannot be implemented effectively without the acceptance and cooperation of the population. Only if we are all prepared to take personal precautions in our immediate environment in addition to official preparations and support by the relief organizations do we stand a fair chance of surviving disasters with the least possible damage.
For this reason, the Federal Ministry of the Interior has developed the Self-protection Information Centres concept in conjunction with the provinces, the Austrian Civil Protection-Association and the relief organizations.
The Self-protection Information Centres aim to: - inform and advise the population on all aspects of self-protection, - promote neighbourhood help, - organize courses, and - generally improve the information level concerning civil protection and self-protection.
By learning how to protect themselves and make provision in the individual households, people are put in a position to survive the isolation phase with a minimum of harm until organized relief sets in or official measures are taken.
So far, Self-protection Information Centres have been established in 1,080 Austrian municipalities.
51 Updating 12.1995
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LEGEND :
Planning Granting of assistance
Command Coordination
Information Information in the case of crises
Request for assistance Coordination in the case of crises
updating 11.1998
VI. 2 CIVIL PROTECTION IN BELGIUM
General mission To help individuals and protect assets at all times in the case of calamities, catastrophes and disasters.
The Minister for the Interior and the Secretary of State for Security, by means of the Directorate-General for Civil Protection, organize the means and measures for the civil protection of the nation, the former in the case of nuclear emergencies and the latter in the event of all other kinds of risk. They coordinate the preparation and application of these measures within government departments and public bodies. They are responsible for designing emergency plans and providing information to members of the public on the risks to which they can be exposed.
They also establish general standards of organization for the fire services and for fire brigade training.
Organization and coordination of aid The Directorate-General for Civil Protection is an office of the Ministry of the Interior. Since 1988, a governmental coordination and crisis centre (CGCCR) has been available around-the-clock. This centre is responsible in particular for collecting information on major accidents and informing the Minister for the Interior and the Secretary of State for Security, and if necessary, the other relevant authorities. Where a crisis is managed at federal level, these authorities organize coordination through the crisis centre.
Training . A Royal School of Civil Protection organizes training courses for operational and voluntary civil protection staff. Staff also carries out part of their training in permanent units. . In each region of the country there is a regional training centre for the fire services.
National intervention resources Civil protection personnel comprises staff assigned to administrative tasks in central administration and approximately 600 staff in 5 permanent operational units which are available 24 hours a day to come to the scene of an accident. In addition, some 2,000 voluntary staff can support permanent staff where required.
Local resources There are currently 250 communal and regional fire services, which comprise approximately 16,000 firemen, 5,000 of whom have professional status and approximately 11,000 of whom are volunteers.
53 Updating 1994
',6$67(55(/,(),1%(/*,80
Minister of the Interior
Governmental Centre for Coordination and Crisis Management
National Defence Director General Other Ministries Minister For Civil Protection
Emergency Plan Province Governor Army Gendarmerie
Mayors Data banks
Permanent units of the Civil Protection Belgian Individuals Corps Fire services Red Cross (requisitioned)
LEGEND :
Planning
Command
Information
Request for assistance
Granting of assistance
updating 11.1998
VI.3 CIVIL PROTECTION IN DENMARK
General Task
According to the Danish Preparedness Act, the task of the rescue preparedness is to prevent, reduce and remedy any damage inflicted on people, property and environment by accidents and disasters including war actions or imminent danger of war.
The first response to an emergency is carried out by the municipal rescue preparedness (an amalgamation of the municipal civil defence and the municipal fire preparedness), while operations against rarely occurring or very complex accidents usually are carried out with the assistance of the National Rescue Corps.
Organization
At national central level the Ministry of the Interior, and the Emergency Management Agency, manages the supreme administrative guidance of the national rescue preparedness and the supervision of the municipal rescue preparedness. The agency includes the Nuclear Safety Division and a chemical laboratory.
The national regional preparedness system consists - in peacetime - of six regional Centres for the National Rescue Corps.
Preparedness commissions appointed by the local councils administrate the rescue preparedness in the 275 Danish municipalities.
The municipal rescue preparedness is capable of fire and rescue operations and of receiving, billeting and feeding evacuees and other distressed persons including e.g. victims of floods and other natural disasters.
40 major municipalities are able to provide an instant and more extensive turnout against the consequences of acts of war.
Training
Every year the Emergency Management Agency implements a number of training sessions and courses in the field of emergency management fire fighting, rescue services, technical operations, etc.
The target groups for these activities are employees and volunteers from the rescue preparedness and the civil preparedness.
There are three training and educational establishments under the responsibility of the Emergency Management Agency. These are the Officers Academy, the Staff College and the Technical School.
55 National Resources
The Danish system of conscription allows the national rescue preparedness to establish and train a preparedness reserve in peacetime. By calling up this reserve and bringing the stockpiles of equipment and vehicles into operation, the national rescue preparedness can be substantially increased in event of a crisis or war.
In peacetime the national rescue preparedness has 650 employees including 200 officers and 100 non-commisssioned officers. Every year 1,400 conscripts receive a three or six months training at the Regional Centres for the National Rescue Corps, which means that each centre constantly has approx. 80 conscripts at its disposal.
The National Rescue Corps possesses 800 motor vehicles, i.e. tank lorries, hose-tenders, fire engines, pioneer vehicles, radio communication vans etc. In addition, a number of private vehicles have been earmarked for requisition in case of mobilization.
The annual (1998) budget of the national rescue preparedness is 397 mill. DKK (approx. 52 mill. ECU).
Local Resources
The local councils are responsible for the build-up and maintenance of the municipal rescue preparedness in accordance with detailed standards laid by the Minister of the Interior.
The Council may enter into agreement with private rescue companies to carry out tasks within the municipal rescue preparedness. The agreement shall be approved by the Emergency Management Agency.
In Denmark there are 72 municipal rescue preparedness stations, 108 Falck*) stations and 39 stations with volunteer personnel. The personnel consists of 1,700 employed full-time, 3,300 part-time and 1,600 volunteers.
The total number of turnouts are approx. 25,000 per year.
*) Falck Redningskorps Ltd. is a large private Danish rescue and fire company.
______F or more information about the Emergency Management Agency, please see the Internet www.beredskabsstyrelsen.dk or www.brs.dk
56 Updating 1998 DISASTER RELIEF IN DENMARK
MULTI - AND BILATERAL ASSISTANCE AGREEMENTS
Other Ministries Minister of Minister of Minister of Justice Defence the Interior Emergency Management Agency National Police
General Plan
SYSTEM FOR MANAGING RELIEF IN DENMARK
Mayor
Local Police Municipal Rescue Preparedness
Army Own Plan Rescue Preparedness The National of another Rescue Corps Municipality (Mobile squads located in Private the various Rescources Rescue regions) of the various Organizations national government Individuals Ambulances ministries (volunteers)
LEGEND :
Planning
Request for assistance
Granting of assistance
Communication and cooperation
57 updating 10.1999
VI.4 CIVIL PROTECTION IN GERMANY
How assistance is organized
Under the Basic Law, assistance in the event of civil disasters in peacetime is a matter for the Länder, while the protection of the civil population in a military conflict is the responsibility of the Federal Government. Thus, the Federal Government complements the civil protection organized by the Länder. Within the Länder, the local or district authorities are in principle responsible for assistance. In this connection, assistance can be requested throughout the Federal Republic by dialling 112. Similarly, the nearest police station can be reached by dialling the emergency number 110 anywhere in the Federal Republic.
Public institutions and private bodies in the Länder/municipalities
The main institutions available to the local authorities as public bodies to provide assistance are the fire services (professional and voluntary fire services). These are responsible for fire protection, technical assistance and in some aid services.
The professional fire services have over 28.800 and voluntary fire services some 1.4 million active members. Added to these are industrial fire services with around 36.000 active members. The following private bodies are also engaged in civil protection:
- Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund around 7 200 active members - Deutsche Lebensrettungsgesellschaft around 145 000 active members - Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (Red Cross) around 305 000 active members - Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe around 24 000 active members - Malteser Hilfsdienst around 31 000 active members
They are particularly involved in medical and care services. Volunteers are active in all areas of the system for providing assistance; they form the basis of civil protection, which could not function without them. Helpers committing themselves to service in civil protection for a statutory period may be exempted from military service.
Training
Training for those engaged in civil protection is carried out in training centres run by the relief organizations and the fire services of the Länder. In addition the civil protection training school of the Federal Office for Civil Protection is available as a central training centre.
58 Federal resources
The Federal Government complements the resources of the Länder in the areas of fire protection, health and welfare and NBC protection by financing additional equipment (operational vehicles and equipment), personal equipment for a specific number of helpers and civil protection training. The number of vehicles funded by the Federal Government is 9 460. For rescue services there is the Federal Institution for Technical Assistance (THW), which is available on request to the competent Länder authorities. In future the THW will operate 810 technical teams with around 6 000 vehicles. It has some 61 500 helpers.
Helicopters have also been acquired for civil protection/disaster relief purposes and are operated by the airborne unit of the Federal Border Police (BGS). These form part of Germany's air rescue system. At present 24 of the 50 stations have civil protection helicopter cover. In accordance with the principle of administrative assistance, the local authorities may also request the help of the federal armed forces in peacetime.
59 Updating 10.1999 DISASTER RELIEF IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
Inter-ministerial coordination group in the Federal Ministry of the Interior
Land government
Federal Army Federal Border Police
Overall responsible
Head of district/City
administration Rescue Requisitioned services individuals Emergency staff
Fire services Federal Agency for Specialized private technical assistance rescue services (THW)
LEGEND :
Command
Information
Granting of assistance
60 updating 06.1995
VI.5 CIVIL PROTECTION IN SPAIN
Law 2/1985 on civil protection is the basis and starting point for the current system of civil protection. This law has subsequently been developed via several regulatory provisions, among which we must highlight, because of its importance in the configuration of the national system of civil protection, the Basic Civil Protection Standard which was approved by Royal Decree 407/1992 of 24 April 1992.
The Basic Standard lays down the requirements for civil protection plans. It sets out the criteria for coordination between the plans of various administrations and the general framework for developing the competencies of these administrations. Cooperation between the three administrations (central, autonomous, local) made it possible to develop standards derived from the Basic Standard. It is in particular within the framework of the National Commission on Civil Protection that this cooperation has developed.
Each administration can organize and manage its civil protection systems with complete autonomy but must respect the principles of inter-territorial complementarity, subsidiarity and solidarity. The first two principles mean that it is the local administration which initially copes with an emergency. The autonomous community level takes over if the local administration is unable to cope with the extent of the problem. The central level plays a similar role for the autonomous community. The principle of inter-territorial solidarity guarantees that the resources available outside the territory where the emergency occurred can be used, and this is the case with the intervention of resources available in the autonomous community plan outside the local territory, and intervention with resources provided for in the State plan for resources outside the territory of the autonomous community.
Following these principles, the Basic Standard stipulates that management and coordination of situations can be exercised through State authority, by means of a statement "of national interest" from the Minister for Justice and the Interior. In other cases, the general State administration with its own resources or those of other administrations will have a support function for measures envisaged in the autonomous community plan.
The Basic Standard establishes two types of plan; the territorial plan and the special plan. The first, intended to cope with general cases, can be a guideline plan, which defines the general framework for allowing access to territorial plans at a local level. The special plan involves the implementation of methodologies and technical and scientific resources specific to each type of risk. This plan can relate to:
- Nuclear power - Situations of war - Floods - Seismic activity - Chemicals - Transport of dangerous substances
61 - Forest fires - Volcanic activity
The first two are of national interest, but the other administrations can be involved, both on the level of resources (sanitary installation, logistics etc.) and on the level of planning (emergency municipal plans in the event of a nuclear accident).
The autonomy of the various administrations in management and organization does not exclude homogeneity as regards the content and objectivity of planning. Indeed, the territorial and special plans of the autonomous communities are approved by the National Commission for Civil Protection, made up of representatives of the various ministries involved in the management of emergencies, of the autonomous communities and of the local administration. The National Commission, a consultative body, expresses opinions on the basic guidelines which define the criteria and the minimal requirements that are need to unite the plans of the three levels of Spanish administration (central, autonomous and local) must to assemble. All subsequent legislation is the subject of a consensus between the three administrative levels involved.
On the level of the autonomous communities there are autonomous community civil protection commissions where the representatives of the three levels of the community integrate. It is these commissions, which approve the territorial and special plans of lower levels; provincial, city, communal grouping, etc.
The Spanish system is therefore based on preliminary planning and cooperation between those who have at their disposal the various resources, which can be implemented to cope with emergencies. Its characteristic features are the use of existing resources and not those own resources allocated to civil protection, and preliminary consensus between all the possible participants and those who have resources at their disposal. The system is decentralized and allows widespread intervention of all the resources of the country in order to cope with an emergency. It is through the Directorate-General for Civil Protection that requests for international assistance or the intervention of Spanish assistance outside Spanish borders are organized.
Human and material resources
It is difficult to give precise figures on the resources available for civil protection because there are no special resources allocated to the various civil protection systems. The Directorate-General for Civil Protection has more than 500 persons divided between the Madrid head office and the various units of civil protection in the civil governments of the provinces and the government's delegations in the autonomous Communities. These civil servants and agents basically work on planning and coordination. We can envisage a similar figure in the Autonomous Communities and in the local administrations.
The number of persons available for the interventions and the resources depend on the needs considered in planning. Fourteen thousand professional firemen supported by volunteers form an important core in these operations. The health services, the police force (national, autonomous and local) the civil guard, the Red Cross or the national aerial means for forest
62 fire-fighting dependent on ICONA (almost 20 planes in property and rented planes and helicopters) also are elements which provide intervening parties in case of emergencies.
Exceptional operations (Olympic Games 92, Universal Exhibition) involved major contingency and organizational activities, which exceeded by far the above-mentioned figures. An annual operation such as the passage of North African immigrants in the Straits of Gibraltar mobilizes more than 2000 persons.
63 Updating 1994 DISASTER RELIEF IN SPAIN
Government of the Basic Norms on the Country National Civil Protection System
Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs General Directorate of State Plan Civil protection
Civil Governor . Police and Security Forces . Army . Other State Resources . Other public and private resources from outside the Autonomous Community affected
Autonomous Communities Autonomous Community's Agency in charge of Plan civil protection
. Resources of the Autonomous Community . Resources assigned by other Administrations . Private resources
Local authority Local Plan . Fire fighters Agency in charge of . Local Police civil protection . Other local resources
LEGEND :
Direction
Plan approval
Support
Direction in case of emergency of national interest
Direction in case of emergency of autonomous community interest
64 updating 03.1999
VI.6 CIVIL PROTECTION IN FINLAND
An integrated system
In Finland, fire fighting and emergency operations, fire and accident prevention, rescue service and civil defence form an integrated unit under the jurisdiction of the authorities. The organization is ready to cope with the entire spectrum of accidents, ranging from everyday accidents to catastrophes and even danger of war.
Rescue administration
The nation's rescue administration aims at improving general safety by preventing fires and other accidents and by limiting damage when accidents occur. The primary function of rescue administration is to protect and save human lives.
The Ministry of the Interior's Rescue Department is responsible for supreme command of rescue administration. Provincial State Offices are responsible for fire and rescue activities in the provinces, whereas the municipalities are responsible for rescue operations in their respective areas. In practice, a municipal fire brigade takes care of fire, rescue and civil defence operations.
Many authorities and organizations work together as an integral part of rescue services. The police, Frontier Guard, defence forces, health, aviation and radiation authorities are major partners.
Multi-skilled municipal fire brigades
Fire Brigades operate as wide-ranging rescue institutions whose activities include fire extinguishing and rescue, transportation of patients, prevention of environmental damage and rescue operations on inland waters.
Each municipality must have either a full-time, a part-time or a contractual fire brigade.
Municipalities can also work together in carrying out their obligations concerning fire and rescue activities, in which case the quality and scope of these operations are agreed upon with the Provincial State Office.
Civil defence
The civil authorities are also responsible for civil defence. As preparations for civil defence municipalities must have plan to protect the population and to safeguard property.
Under normal conditions, rescue squads are responsible for operations. In situations of emergency, these crews are complemented by staff with civil defence training.
65 During peacetime civil defence includes the construction and maintenance of bomb shelters, procurement of warning systems and special equipment, training, information and drawing up plans. Under normal conditions bomb shelters can be used for other purposes provided that they are ready for use as bomb shelters within 24 hours.
Emergency areas
The country is divided into 42 emergency areas. The dispatching centres in these areas receive all emergency calls and alarm the fire brigades and the ambulance services.
Emergency services in numbers
- There are over 4,600 persons working full time in rescue services. - There are more than 4,300 part-time workers and - over 10,000 fire fighters in the contract fire brigades. - The fire brigades have a total of 1,100 fire engines, nearly 500 tank trucks, 130 special rescue trucks and over 60 vehicles for the prevention of oil damages, and some 200 ambulances. - The expenses amount to a total of some 1.5 billion Finnmarks. - Some 90,000 persons are reserved for wartime civil defence. - There are shelter places for over three million people.
Rescue training
The Emergency Services College in Kuopio gives basic and advanced training to rescue professionals. Those organizations involved in rescue work take part in training.
Finnrescueforce (FRF)
FINNRESCUEFORCE (FRF) (200 persons) is the Finnish rapid task force for international search and rescue operations as well as medical treatment combating of oil pollution and responding to chemical accidents.
FRF is run by the authorities and is on continuous standby.
FRF is listed in the UN's OCHA/MCDA catalogue and is also in standby to take part in the UN's disaster assessment and coordination teams (UNDAC STAND-BY TEAM) sent to disaster areas.
66 Updating 03.1999 DISASTER RELIEF IN FINLAND
Ministry of Other the Interior Governmental Ministries Rescue Department Agencies and Director General of Institutes Rescue Services Mr Pentti Partanen
The Central Organization of Rescue Services in Finland Emergency The Finnish Association Services College of Fire Chiefs The Finnish Red Cross Provincial State Offices
Emergency Control and co-operation areas Dispatching centers (=alarming and emergency centers)
Municipality Fire Brigades Municipal, State and Voluntary Rescue Organizations
67 updating 06.1995
VI.7 CIVIL PROTECTION IN FRANCE
General assignment
According to the 22nd of July 1987 law, the aim of the Directorate of Public Safety (DSC) is to ensure protection of persons, assets and environment, to prevent the risk of accidents, disaster or catastrophes of all natures. The Directorate manages the national emergency service and coordinates the action of the local rescue services responsible for aid operations. It contributes to the prevention of natural and technological accidents, drafts texts on prevention, aid plans and fire services, helps in the training of firemen and develops the international dimension of public safety through cooperation projects and aid operations for foreign States.
Organization of aid and rescue
The DSC is attached to the Ministry of the Interior. Its operational centre (CODISC), ensures round-the-clock monitoring of large-scale rescue operations at national level, in France and abroad. It is responsible for informing the Minister of the Interior and the State authorities as regards accidents and catastrophes.
Inter-regional centres of operational coordination on public safety (CIRCOSC) are established in Marseilles, Lyon, Rennes, Bordeaux, Metz and Paris. Inside each Defence Area, the CIRCOSC ensures the coordination of the aid and rescue operations under the authority of the area prefect.
The training of agents
A national institute of public safety studies (INESC) is established at Nainville-Les-Roches, including the High Fire Officer National School.
National intervention resources
Personnel of the Directorate of Public Safety: 2,871 agents including 1,688 soldiers in Civil Safety Instruction and Intervention Units, 71 fire-officers and NCO, 494 administratives. 194 people work at helicopter bases, 151 at Marignane aviation base, 84 at CIRCOSC, 127 at INESC and 389 at Directorate of public safety central building in Levallois-Perret.
Aerial resources: 35 helicopters distributed among 20 bases for emergency medical aid and various rescue operations (26 Lark IIIs, 4 Dolphins, 6 Squirrels); 28 water bombers located in Marignane for fighting forest fires (11 Canadairs, 13 Trackers, 2 Fokkers 27 and 2 C 130 Hercules rented for the forest fire season).
68 Demining: 138 Persons, 19 centres spread over the national territory, including overseas (525 tonnes of ammunition coming from the last 2 world wars were recovered in 1994).
4 Civil Safety Instruction and Intervention Units (UIISC) including 1,688 soldiers make up DICA. These detachments can be sent by air throughout the world in case of natural disasters. Since they were created at the beginning of the 1980s, the DICA have rescued people in more than 10 countries (Italy, Mexico, Armenia, Iran, Turkey, Japan, Greece ...).
4 operational logistics establishments (ESOL) where 126 persons work are responsible for the support of the public safety directorate's resources.
Local resources
Public safety is a competency shared between the local authorities and the State. The mayor in each commune and the department prefect are responsible for ensuring the prevention of risks and the distribution of aid and rescue. The prefect adopts the departmental ORSEC plan (general organization of public and private aid) or any other aid and rescue plan (for example the red plan implementing the medical aid chain in the event of numerous victims). The prefects have the interdepartmental service for economic and civil defence and civil protection (SIDPC) at their disposal.
On a day-to-day basis, the public safety activities are led by the 238,000 professional and voluntary firemen (including the 8,400 men of the Paris Fire Brigade (BSPP) and of the Marseilles Fire Battalion (BMPM), raised for historical reasons, from Army and Navy.
Firemen belong to communal, inter-communal or departmental bodies. In each department (except Paris and the three departments around it, where the BSPP operates) the departmental fire and rescue services (SDIS), a public departmental establishment, are financed by the local authorities and chaired by the president of the general council, but involving the prefect's authority for the operational implementation of the means of aid.
69 Updating 06.1995 DISASTER RELIEF IN FRANCE
Minister of the Interior (Cabinet) Directorate of Civil Safety Other Ministries CODISC (Operational centre of the Directorate of Civil Safety
Prefect of the defence area CIRCOSC
Department ORSEC Plan
Army Prefect
Related Departments Crisis Staff Means of Civil Safety
Means of the related Departments
Means of aid: Firemen Gendarmerie, Police Force, Health, Equipment, ...
LEGEND :
Planning
Command
Information
Request for assistance
Granting of assistance
70 updating 10.1999
VI.8 CIVIL PROTECTION IN GREECE
The new law-decree 2344/95 and the Act of Ministerial Council no. 288 of 23 December 1996 govern planning of prevention, response and relief efforts in case of natural, technological and other disasters.
The competent bodies for the implementation of civil protection measures are the following:
- The Inter–ministerial coordination body (S.D.O.) - The General Secretariat for Civil Protection - Many authorities, organizations and institutions which work together as an integral part of planning and rescue operations. (Ministries, the Fire Brigade, Police, Defence Forces, Health, Aviation and Radiation Authorities are major partners). - The General Secretariat of the Region - The Prefecture as well
A. Inter-Ministerial coordination body (S.D.O) The Inter – ministerial coordination body (S.D.O.) was established to coordinate governmental action in case of major disasters. The role and the objective of SDO is to reinforce, within a defined Government framework, the coordination activities of the General Secretariat for Civil protection in implementing the national policy during an emergency situation.
B. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection
The General Secretariat for Civil protection was established within the Ministry of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization. The new institution deals with the prevention and the mitigation of natural, technological and other disasters within an integral political framework. The General Secretariat for Civil protection is the most competent body to deal with the prevention, the relief and the consequences management of any disaster implementing measures in order to identify and mitigate any type of hazard and to protect the population, the infrastructure, the environment and properties.
General Secretariat for Civil protection is going to establish an emergency scientific team consisting of seismologists, meteorologists, geologists, structural engineers as well as other scientists and experts responsible to give consultance in case of disasters and to present new proposals on relative subjects.
The 24/24 hours Operational Center is located at the same premises as general Secretariat for Civil protection.
71 C. Each concerned Ministry draw up its own respective general plans for the various types of disasters
The general guidelines are provided by the framework of the overall national plan namely “XENOKRATES” (?????????S) issued by the General Secretariat for Civil protection.
· Ministry of Public Works and Environment (PE.HO.DE.) (10 specific plans concerning: earthquakes flash floods, snowfalls, landslides, pollution of the environment, technological accident, etc) · Ministry of Development: (3 specific plans concerning: radioactivity, chemical and industrial accidents, explosions, nuclear emergencies, transportation and storage of chemicals, etc) · Ministry of Health and Welfare: (3 specific plans concerning: drought, hot, humid, summer days, epidemic situations, etc) · Ministry of Public Order: (2 specific plans concerning: fire fighting and rescues both in urban areas and forest fires, etc) · Ministry of Merchandise Marine: (2 specific plans concerning: search and rescue in the sea, marine pollution, etc) · Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications: (2 specific plans concerning: telecommunication problems, major transport accidents, etc)
D. The General Secretariat of the region
The 13 Regions of Greece draw up their respective regional plans and are responsible for planning and coordination of their prefectures or countries.
E. The prefecture
The 54 Prefectures of Greece draw up their respective prefectural plans. At the prefectural level the coordinating body (S.N.O), chaired by the prefect, is the responsible decision-making body to handle emergency situations. .
72 Updating 11.1998
DISASTER RELIEF IN GREECE
Inter-ministerial coordination body S.D.O. chaired by the Secretary General for Civil Protection
M I N I S T R I E S Specific National Plans for "XENOCRATES" Relief Units 1. Public Works and Environment (PE.XO.DE.) (10 plans) Armed Forces Ministry of Interior Public 2. Development (3 plans) Fire Fighting Administrtion and 3. Public Order (2 plans) Brigade Service Decentralization 4. Transportantions and Communications (2 plans) GENERAL SECRETARIAT 5. Health and Welfare (3 plans) FOR CIVIL PROTECTION 6. Merchandise Marine (2 plans) General Plans "XENOCRATES"
13 REGIONS local services (Specific regional (health and plans) prevention, technical, police etc)
Local armed forces Local fire brigade Specialized local units (engineers, doctors, etc)
54 PREFECTURES prefectural coordination body (S.N.O.) Municipal (specific prefectural plans) services (water supply, sewage treatment, etc)
73 updating 11.1998
VI.9 CIVIL PROTECTION IN IRELAND
Objectives
The objectives of civil protection or emergency planning in Ireland are: to implement, within a defined Government framework, measures to identify and mitigate natural and technological hazards; to plan for, to respond to, and to lead recovery from major emergencies which threaten persons, infrastructure, the environment and property.
Organization
Emergency management is undertaken as an integral function of the relief agencies i.e. the local authorities, police, and regional medical services (health boards). Each agency (police, local authority and health board) develops its plans and strategy for dealing with major emergencies. These are developed in accordance with a central government planning framework which recommends, inter alia, the organization of the responsibilities of the various services and the tasks to be undertaken at local level.
The general outlines of the emergency plans are identical, particularly with regard to the allocation of functions and responsibilities between the various services, launching of the plans, operational control, communications, etc. However, there are special plans for certain types of disaster.
In the event of a disaster, management of the relief effort is coordinated by the administrative directors of the emergency services. If required by the magnitude of the disaster, they can also call on the support of civil defence reservists and other voluntary organizations, e.g. Red Cross, the Order of Malta, St. John's Ambulance, etc.
An Inter-Departmental Advisory Committee on major emergencies chaired by the Department of Environment and Local Government and comprising representatives of the Departments of Health and Children; Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Defence monitors emergency planning and response arrangements and provides advice and guidelines to the main response agencies on local arrangements to facilitate the co-ordination and testing of emergency plans.
Liaison officers in each Government Department ensure that requests for support are dealt with rapidly and appropriately. Lists of contact officers and experts in the public services are kept up to date on a central level. Finally, there are certain arrangements for requesting the support of the army.
74 Training of emergency personnel
Training of Emergency Personnel is carried out locally by the local authorities and nationally by the Fire Services Council in the form of seminars, workshops and emergency exercises. The Fire Services Council continually reviews and improves its training programme to ensure that courses are updated and remain relevant to changing and developing needs. For example the Council currently provides courses which deal with transport accidents, hazardous materials and command and control functions, all of which are relevant to emergency preparedness.
Resources of primary response agencies
The following is a summary of the organization and resources of the primary response agencies for emergencies in Ireland:
Agency Organization Employees Responses bases
Police National Force 11,000 24 Divisions Health 8 health boards 62,000 Local Authorities 37 30,000 220 Fire Stations (including Fire Brigades)
75 Updating 11.1998
DISASTER RELIEF IN IRELAND
1 Ministries
2 Environment Health Justice, Other Ministries & Local Government & Children Equality & Law e.g. Defence IDC Reform Public Enterprise Marine & Natural Resources, OPW
34 Local Medical Services Medical Services Authorities including 8 Health 8 Health fire brigades Boards Boards Own Own Own Emergency Plans Emergency Plans Emergency Plans Other Services Civil Defence Red Cross etc.
Fire/Rescue Service/Sanitary/ Ambulance Service/Pre Hospital Law and Order Water/Roads/Accomadtion/ Care/Hospital Care/Community Search and Rescue food/rest facilites Care Site Security
LEGEND :
Provision of advice and support
Support from the voluntary sector
Services provided
Co-ordination of information and advice
IDC Inter-Departmental Advisory Committee
1) Ministries responsible for the 3 main emergency response services i.e. Fire Brigade, Police, Ambulance
2) Certain other Ministries have respnsibility for emergency planning in their own areas e.g. Public Enterprise - Nuclear Emergencies, OPW - Flooding etc. 76 updating 06.1995
VI.10 CIVIL PROTECTION IN ITALY1
General Task
Civil defence in Italy is organized as a coordinated resources system where national, regional, provincial and local authorities work together in conjunction with local and public institutions, the scientific community, private institutions and organizations, voluntary organizations, and professional associations.
Each of these authorities, community institutions and organizations has developed its own part of the National Civil Defence Service and makes its own contribution to the achievement of the aims of civil defence.
This involves a series of practical measures in the various sectors involved in civil defence and, as a consequence, makes it necessary to place responsibility for managing and coordinating with a central unit According to Act 225/02, this is the President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) and he can delegate this function to a Minister or Under- Secretary of State.
The current Prime Minister has decided to delegate an Under-Secretary of State. To carry out central coordination of these various activities, the political authorities use the Department of Civil Defence.
The guidelines for the implementation of the main activities are established through a special organization - the National Council for Civil Defence - made up of representatives of the various sections of the Civil Defence Service.
Civil defence activity
The Department of Civil Defence is managed by a Head of Department and backs up the President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister), or his delegate in the responsibility of management, coordination and implementation of the various activities in the specific sectors. According to the law under which the National Civil Defence Service was created, the following are regarded as civil defence activities.
Forecasting and prevention
This essentially involves the promotion and coordination of various structures, as well as collecting and divulging data and information relevant to the forecasting and prevention of various types of danger. This is in order to ensure that dangers pertaining to the national territory are known about and to favour activity aimed at attenuating such dangers.
1 Presently under revision due to the establishment of a new Agency for Civil Protection which will replace the Department
77 To this end, the Department of Civil Defence makes use of the scientific community, which is represented at the highest level on the National Commission for the prediction and prevention of major disasters.
The best tools for the tasks of forecasting and prevention are special programmes.
The Department of Civil Defence is in the process of finalizing national programmes for the forecasting and prevention of seismic, volcanic, nuclear, industrial, hydrogeological and sanitary dangers.
On a local level, programmes are entrusted to the regional and provincial authorities. They must carry out programmes relative to the specific type of danger present in the area for which they are responsible.
Emergency management
The responsibility for emergency management lies with:
- the Mayor in the event of matters that can be dealt with by the means at the disposal of the local authority; - the Prefect in the event of matters affecting the province that require the coordination of different competent organizations and authorities; - the Department of Civil Defence in the event of natural disasters, catastrophes and other events that by their very intensity and size can only be dealt with by special means and emergency powers.
In the event of exceptional cases of this type, the Council of Ministers can make use of a special ordinance, prior to a declaration of a state of emergency (of limited duration and scope), with the consequent assumption of shared responsibility at the highest level of government.
Emergency powers can also be used in order to prevent dangerous situations or serious damage to persons or property. Emergency management activity is based either on emergency plans drawn up on a national level by the Department for Civil Defence and on a local level by the Prefecture, or else on national emergency programmes.
The special organization that is required to ensure the central management and coordination of emergency assistance is the Operations Committee of Civil Defence on which the authorities participating in emergency operations are represented at the highest level.
78 Overcoming the emergency
According to current law concerning civil defence, civil defence activities also include those aimed at overcoming an emergency. This consists solely of the implementation, in coordination with the relevant institutional organizations, of those measures which cannot be delayed and which are necessary to removing obstacles to the resumption of normal life.
To this end, the Department of Civil Defence monitors the evolution of calamitous events and carries out any actions necessary to guarantee socio-economic recovery in the affected areas, and the gradual and "painless" passage from the acute phase of the emergency to the total resumption of responsibility by the authorities normally in charge.
79 Updating 06.1995 (1) DISASTER RELIEF IN ITALY
PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS CIVIL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT
CENTRAL BODIES NATIONAL CIVIL PROTECTION COUNCIL MAJOR OPERATIONAL HAZARDS COMMITTEE Commission
PREVENTION AND RELIEF BEYOND THE PREPARATION COORDINATION EMERGENCY PHASE
National Emergency Initiatives to suppress programme plans the obstacles to the reestablishment of the normal situation
PERIPHERAL BODIES MAYOR . Municipal administration Carries out relief activities within . Municipal police the municipality, if necessary requests, . Technicians from the prefect, the intervention . Local resources of other forces. PREFECT Draws and implements emergency plans at the provincial level . Coordinates relief activities PROVINCE Provincial Data collection and Civil Protection processing - Committee Provincial programmes for prevention and preparedness REGION Regional Regional programmes Civil Protection for prevention and Committee preparedness . Structures and means OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE National Operational Structure of the National civil protection service
Art. 11 paragraph 2, law 225/92 The national operational structure will carry out, up on the civil protection Department request, the activities prescribed by this law,,,
(1) presently under revision due to the establishment of a new Agency for Civil Protection which will replace the Department
80 updating 10.1999
VI.11 CIVIL PROTECTION IN LUXEMBOURG
General assignment
Civil protection includes all the measures and the means intended to protect and supply aid to the population, to safeguard the national inheritance and assets from calamitous catastrophe and disasters whether or not ascribable to an international armed conflict. The Civil Protection Authority ensures the management of the national intervention funds, sets up general and particular emergency plans and organizes first aid training for the public as regards first aid. It is qualified to recruit and train the instructors (volunteers) of the assistance units and supervises the instruction of volunteers in the various fields of protection; it manages the National School (ENPC - Ecole Nationale de la Protection Civile) and the National Civil Protection Support Base (BNSPC: Base Nationale de Support de la Protection Civile - heavy intervention equipment). It develops links with the first-aid organizations of neighbouring countries and helps to implement plans and directives arising from the mutual assistance agreements concluded with the 3 neighbouring countries.
Organization of aid
The Civil Protection Authority (SNPC - Service National de la Protection Civile) reports to the Ministry of the Interior. The emergency assistance centre (CSU - Central des Secours d'Urgence) “112” the only emergency telephone number for the whole country coordinates assistance operations 24 hours a day. In the event of a catastrophe, the civil protection authority directs operations and informs the Minister of the Interior.
The training of participants
The national school of civil protection (ENPC) is located at Schimpach. Voluntary instructors who, after a one-year training course, are appointed by the Minister for the Interior carry out the all-round and continuous instruction of volunteers either at the ENPC, or in the assistance centres.
Regional and national intervention resources
The Civil Protection Authority is made up of a total of 14 officials and employees, the emergency assistance centre (CSU) “112” is served in turn by 16 operators; the brigade of first-aid workers, ambulance personnel and rescuers which is composed of 2300 volunteers grouped in 25 regional centres (dense ambulance and rescue service network, since all areas of the country are 10km or less from assistance).
81 The national civil protection service also includes:
* Team of frogmen: 18 volunteers * N.B.C. aid team: 34 members * Warning and detection team: 28 members * Rescue dog-team: 10 members * Road and waterway transport: 143 vehicles, 43 trailers and 12 rescue boats * Aircraft: 2 helicopters integrated into the emergency medical aid service (SAMU), based near the hospital on call and in the north of the country.
Local resources
Firemen belonging to communal bodies are made up of volunteers (except for the professional fire-service of the capital). They report to the Ministry of the Interior (Fire Service = independent of Civil Protection). Local authorities are required by law to create or maintain a fire and rescue service including at least a body of voluntary or professional fireman having buildings and appropriate equipment. The law governs the relationship between the communal fire and rescue services and the civil protection services.
82 Updating 10.1998 DISASTER RELIEF IN LUXEMBOURG
Prime minister
Minister for Minister of Public Service Public Works
Aid Plan Minister of Health
Minister of the Interior
National Civil Hospitals Protection Service
Emergency staff
Gendarmerie, Public Works Units Police, Army
Civil Protection Firemen Local Majors Intervention Units
LEGEND :
Information
Command
Granting of assistance
Planning
83 updating 10.1999
VI.12 CIVIL PROTECTION IN THE NETHERLANDS
Tasks
The various aspects of the task of protecting public safety are shared between the national, provincial and local authorities. Responsibility for coordination of the efforts to protect public safety lies with the Fire Services, Disaster and Crisis Management Directorate in the Directorate-General for Public Order and Safety in the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.
Organization of relief
In practice, the law places responsibility for fire services and disaster relief on the local authorities. These two areas are closely linked by virtue of the fact that the fire service forms the core of the disaster relief service in the Netherlands.
However, since incidents rapidly spread beyond municipal borders, the law also places an obligation on local authorities to organize their facilities on a regional basis. The law delegates various tasks to these regions, including provision of assistance and preparation for and coordination during regional disaster relief operations. To this end, they receive financial support, the extra equipment needed and any additional infrastructure required from the national authorities (see "National relief resources").
In the event of a disaster or incident, if insufficient relief capacity is available at local level, assistance can be requested from other local authorities, regions, provinces or countries (in that order). As soon as assistance is requested from other provinces or countries, the National Coordination Centre for Public Order and Safety in the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations assumes a coordinating role. Conversely, requests for assistance from other countries are likewise handled via the National Coordination Centre.
The National Coordination Centre is manned 24 hours a day and, in addition to operational coordinating tasks, is responsible for keeping the Minister and leading partners up to date with relevant developments in the event of disasters and incidents.
Education and training
The Netherlands Institute for Fire Service and Disaster Management (NIBRA) based in Arnhem provides training for fire officers and specialized advanced training courses in disaster management for all disciplines involved in disaster relief. All other training (by far the majority) is provided by the regional training centres.
84 National relief resources
- Staff of the Fire Services, Disaster and Crisis Management Directorate: 155 persons, of whom 28 work part time. - Staff of the NIBRA: 24 staff, of whom one works part time.
The majority of the government equipment is placed at the disposal of the regional fire services so that they can perform their disaster relief tasks. Inter alia, each of the regional fire services (there are 39 at the moment) is capable of forming one or more complete "brandweercompagnieën" (fire service companies). Their task is to extinguish fires and save and release victims during a disaster. There are a total of 61 fire service companies which, together, form the backbone of the total national capacity. The staff for these companies are supplied by the regions themselves, often by the local authorities cooperating. The following national resources are shared between the 61 fire service companies: - 122 swap body vehicles - 183 submersible hydraulic pumps - 183 demountables for carrying a total of 345 km of six inch hose - 183 demountables for technical disaster relief - approximately 500 oscillating monitors - infrastructure: 39 regional operational centres national emergency network, with approximately 1 500 lines communications networks, e.g. mobile communications.
Local relief resources
As mentioned earlier under "Organization of relief", the fire service forms the core of the disaster relief system. The relief system is built around services which already provide assistance day after day - the fire service, the police force, the ambulance service and trauma teams. Beyond this, in the event of, for instance, large-scale incidents rapid expansion of the relief capacity is possible, for example by calling on the national Red Cross.
Fire service: There are a total of over 26 000 firemen in the Netherlands, of whom around 3 500 are professional and 22 500 volunteers. By far the majority work for a local authority. Only 400 or so work for a regional fire brigade, of whom just five are volunteers and the rest professional.
Police force: In the event of a disaster the police force continues to perform its normal duties with the objective of enabling the fire service, ambulances, etc. to perform their disaster relief tasks.
85 Medical services: Many recent and still ongoing enhancements in the organization of medical assistance originate from the Project for Medical Assistance in Accidents and Disasters (GHOR). This project was the result of a survey of bottlenecks in administrative, organizational, operational and financial fields.
The Medical Combination One of the outcomes of this project is an operational partnership of medical emergency organizations: the Medical Combination. In total there are 43 of these Combinations in the Netherlands Medical Combinations are made up of: · A mobile medical team (a specialized doctor and a specialized nurse); · Two ambulance team-members (driver and nurse) who do not participate in the transportation of victims to hospital, but who provide first aid on site; · A Rapid Deployment Group for Medical Assistance (SIGMA), comprising eight volunteers (usually from the Dutch Red Cross), whose task it is to support the mobile medical team and the ambulance team; and · An executive from the medical region, who coordinates all medical activities at the site and is assisted by a coordinator for the transportation of the injured, coming from the Central Station for Ambulance Transportation.
Ambulance Services Over 600 ambulances with specially trained staff are available in the Netherlands.
Trauma centres: Ten hospitals in the Netherlands function as a trauma centre and can be called upon 24 hours a day to dispatch a mobile medical team (see under Medical Combination).
86 Updating 10.1999 DISASTER RELIEF IN THE NETHERLANDS
Minister of the Interior & Kingdom Relations Other Ministers National Coordination Centre Departmental Coordination Centres
Provincial Queen's Commissioner Coordination Provincial Coordination Centre Plan Disaster plan
Mayor(s)/ Disaster Relief Local or regional Plan Coordination Center Operational leader/ operational team
Fire Service Police Force Medical assistance Public and private services bodies from which support can be requested, for example the army
LEGEND :
Planning
Chain of Command
Flow of information
Request for assistance
Granting of assistance
Coordination
87 updating 06.1995
VI.13 CIVIL PROTECTION IN PORTUGAL
General assignment
To prevent natural or man-made hazards related to major accidents, disaster or calamity, to mitigate losses and damages upon population, material resources and environment, and to relieve population every time emergency situations strike.
Relief organization
The civil protection system integrates the National Service for Civil Protection (SNPC), the Regional Services for Civil Protection (SRPC), and the Municipal Services for Civil Protection (SMPC). Delegations of the SNPC are based on each of the 18 districts that are part of the Portuguese administrative organization.
The Prime Minister is responsible for directing the civil protection policy and emergency response in case of disaster at national level. He may delegate his responsibilities to the Minister of Interior. At regional level, responsibility lies with the Presidents of Government of Azores and Madeira Autonomous Regions and to the Governors of District on the mainland. At local level, responsibility lies with the Mayors. The National Emergency Operations Centre (CNOEPC) is activated by the SNPC soon after a major disaster cannot be solved either by the means assigned to the Municipality or the District where it takes place, for coordination and control of the relief operations and logistics support at national level. A National Disaster Emergency Response Office works out 24 hours a day in the SNPC to control and manage the current situation. At regional and local levels, Emergency Operations Centres in Districts (CDOEPC) and Municipalities (CMOEPC) are activated every time a major accident or disaster takes place in their respective administrative areas.
Training of civil protection agents
The SNPC is a body for development of plans and policies, and coordination and control of emergency response. Thus, there are no organic disaster response units nor schools for civil protection in its organization. The training of civil protection agents lies down under their commands/directions that have schools and training centres for such purpose.
However, the SNPC is responsible for a systemic public awareness, information and education campaign, through the dissemination of security and self-protective measures to be adopted by the population in case of a situation of risk.
88 Civil protection agents
The main civil protection agents are the Fire National Service (SNB), the security forces (Police and National Guards), the Armed Forces, the Maritime and Aeronautics Authorities, and the National Institute for Medical Emergency (INEM).
The leagues of volunteer firemen, health services, social security institutions, NGOs and other volunteer organizations, public services responsible for forest and natural reserves, industry and energy, transport, communications, water resources and environment, security and relief services belonging to private and public companies, seaports and airports, have the duty to cooperate with civil protection agents already mentioned.
Several scientific and technological institutions and organizations are particularly assigned for cooperation with SNPC and are important contributors into the civil protection system, namely those related to meteorology and geophysics, engineering, industrial technology, geology, forestry, nuclear protection and natural resources.
89 Updating 03.1999 DISASTER RELIEF IN PORTUGAL
PRIME MINISTER
MINISTER OF MINISTER OF INTERIOR OTHER MINISTERS DEFENCE
NATIONAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (CNOEPC)
NATIONAL SERVICE FOR CIVIL PROTECTION (SNPC)
EMERGENCY PLANS
GOVERNOR DISTRICT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER OTHER PUBLIC ARMED (CDOEPC) SERVICES FORCES MAYOR MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (CMOEPC) NGO's
SECURITY FORCES FIRE SERVICES MEDICAL SERVICES
LEGEND :
PLANNING
OPERATIONAL CO-ORDINATION
INFORMATION
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE
GRANTING OF ASSISTANCE
90 updating 10.1999
VI.14 CIVIL PROTECTION IN SWEDEN
The Role of the Municipalities
In every municipality there shall be one or more committees in charge of the rescue service work. The way that this municipal committee shall operate is regulated in the Municipal Act. The rescue brigade shall carry out the rescue operations, which the municipality is responsible for according to the law. Every municipality shall have a rescue service plan, passed by the elected assembly. The plan shall contain information on the rescue brigade's general organization and on several issues of la technical nature. As of July 1, 1995 it shall also contain information on the complementary measures that are necessary for the rescue service in times of increased preparedness. The Government may decide to change a municipality's rescue service plan on the initiative of the Swedish Rescue Services Agency if the plan is considered to be inappropriate.
If a County Administrative Board or the Swedish Government takes over responsibility for municipal rescue service, the actual rescue operations shall be carried out under the command of an appointed rescue commander having the required competence for being head or deputy head of the municipal rescue brigade.
If required by the commander, all national and municipal authorities have an obligation to participate as needed with personnel and equipment provided that the authority has appropriate resources and that the participation does not seriously hinder the authority's normal responsibility. Any private resources in Sweden can be made us of. Anyone who is over the age of 18 and not older than 65 can be ordered to participate in rescue work by the commander, in so far as knowledge, health and fitness allow it.
The role of the Regional and National Authorities
The County Administrative Board, at the regional level, and the Swedish Rescue Services Agency, at the national level, shall on behalf of the Swedish Government supervise the municipalities activities for the rescue service in peacetime as well as in wartime. The Swedish Rescue Services Agency serves within the Government under the Ministry of Defence.
The Agency plays an overall coordinating role in the field of rescue services and carries out follow-ups and evaluations of accidents that have occurred in Sweden and abroad. It conducts research and development for the purpose of developing methods and equipment to be used at the municipal level. It is also responsible for the training of all personnel in the area of fire and rescue service and chimney-sweeping. The Agency, furthermore, has been assigned the task of issuing safety regulations concerning the transport of dangerous goods by road and rail.
In case of accidents involving chemicals and oil, equipment stored in the Agency's five oil protection depots can be utilized. Through the Agency, the State has also concluded an agreement with six municipalities that they will assist the National Maritime Administration
91 and the Coast Guard in rescue operations at sea, ROS. The necessary basic training is provided by The Swedish Rescue Services Agency. The Agency moreover maintains preparedness for assisting various UN bodies in relief missions, when so decided by the Swedish Government. The personnel for these operations are mainly recruited from the municipal fire and rescue service.
Emergency Services in Figures
The number of municipalities in Sweden is 288. In total the municipalities employ some 6 000 full-time and some 12 000 part-time firemen. Several municipalities cooperate in the area of fire and rescue service in so called "municipal unions" with the aim of using the combined resources as efficiently as possible. The "typical" municipal union consists of two municipalities, but there are larger unions where 4-5 municipalities cooperate. The cooperation municipalities share the cost, on the basis of different parameters, for instance population figures.
The Swedish Rescue Services Agency has some 800 persons in its staff, of which some 300 work in the central administration in Karlstad and the rest at the Agency's four Rescue Services Colleges.
92 Updating 10.1999 DISASTER RELIEF IN SWEDEN
OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE
The Government
The Government may always, under certain conditions, instruct a certain County Administrative Board or another government authority to take responsibility for the rescue services
Municipal Rescue Service Environmental Protection at Sea Rescue Commander in charge of operations. Coast Guard
The Commander has the authority to request personnel Search and Rescue and resources from all national and municipal National Maritime Board authorities, including the (accidents at sea) Armed Forces, as well as private resources. Civil Aviation Administration The County Administrative (mission/crashed planes) Board shall take over responsibility when large scale The Police (missing operations are required. people)
Protection of the Public in case of Radioactive Releases
County Administrative Board
93 VI.15 CIVIL PROTECTION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
Introduction
The United Kingdom rarely experiences natural catastrophes of a scale to necessitate intervention by the central authorities. There is, therefore, no one national organization charged with formulating rescue plans. Local authorities have for a long time assumed responsibility for emergency plans for dealing with catastrophes. The legal aspect is restricted and only covers the use of civil defence resources in the event of catastrophes in peacetime and industrial accidents.
Responding organizations
In the event of a catastrophe, as far as the immediate reactions are concerned, reliance is placed on the emergency plans made by the emergency services (police, fire and ambulance), local government, public and health services, those responsible for industrial installations and others including the voluntary sector. The preparation of these plans - which are based on the guidance and instructions given by government or other services - are often coordinated by of local authorities, although it is the police who coordinate the response.
If a catastrophe reaches a scale which the resources available on the spot cannot manage, supplementary resources might be called from neighbouring authorities and organizations as well as from central government.
It should be noted that only an exceptionally massive catastrophe would justify coordination at (central) government level.
Additional resources might also be requested, if necessary, from neighbouring countries, from member States of the EC or from NATO.
Training
Training in a wide range of civil protection issues is provided for the emergency services, local authorities, industry and voluntary organizations by the Emergency Planning College.
The central government role
The evolution of a massive or prolonged catastrophe is tracked by a nominal government department so that additional resources can, if needed, be rapidly supplied and ministers can inform Parliament of the progress made in combating the effects of the catastrophe. In such a case, the central government department must ensure that the central government response is coordinated with the steps taken to combat the disaster and, in particular, inform the public of central government action and advice.
94 There are also arrangements for interdepartmental discussions at official or ministerial level to tackle problems, which cannot be resoled under one department's authority. There are well defined arrangements under which the authorities may seek assistance from the military authorities.
The local response
The local response will provide details of the priority tasks of each relief service as well as the creation of a local emergency centre. The local authority will provide a general plan, which will be backed up by plans specific to each relief organization.
95 Updating 03.1995 DISASTER RELIEF IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
Cabinet Office Lead government Fire Ambulance department Police Government departments and Media Media Other agencies * Local their constituent briefing Authorities authorities Strategic level
Regional Emergency Committees Fire Ambulance and incident 96 medical officers
Police Tactical level Other agencies * Local authorities
Media
Other agencies Local
* other agencies include military, authorities level industrial, coroner, voluntary Police services as required. Fire Ambulance Operational PART VII
LEGAL FOUNDATIONS RELATING TO THE ORGANIZATION OF INTERVENTION IN AN EMERGENCY updating 12.1995
VII.1 AUSTRIA
Austria is a Federal State consisting of nine provinces. The federal provinces are subdivided into 2304 local government units.
The provinces are vested with important responsibilities with regard to legislative and executive powers, also in the area of civil protection.
Under the constitutional division of responsibilities, laws on disaster prevention and control may be passed by the Federal Government and/or the provinces. Numerous laws regulating specific fields already exist at the federal and provincial levels (e.g. laws to regulate radiation protection, water rights, operation of the fire prevention board and rescue service).
Under the act regulating the responsibilities of the federal ministries, the Federal Ministry of the Interior is in charge of matters concerning the safety and security of the population to the extent that they are not regulated by any other federal ministry.
The provinces have enacted comprehensive disaster relief acts, which regulate the scope of action assigned to the individual relief organizations, identify the action management hierarchy and define performance requirement profiles.
Disaster relief and alerting plans have been drawn up for the federal, provincial, district and local authorities.
Training of relief workers is provided by Provincial Civil Protection Schools, schools run by relief organizations themselves, and by the Civil Protection School of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
98 updating 1998
VII.2 BELGIUM
The essential legal foundations concerning planification and intervention in an emergency are set forth in the following documents: - the royal decree dated 11 March 1954 concerning the "Civil Protection Corps";
- the law of 31 December 1963 concerning Civil Protection, the first chapter of which defines duties of civil protection and which assigns various organizational and executive powers to the King and to the Minister of the Interior. The second chapter of this Law describes the basis organization of the fire services;
- the royal decree dated 8 November 1967 setting out in peace time the organization and duties of the fire services;
- the royal decree dated 23 June 1971 which defines the duties of civil protection and the coordination of the relief work following calamitous events, disasters and catastrophes;
- the law concerning emergency medical aid dated 8 July 1964 and its implementing orders which essentially form the basis for the so-called "services 100";
- the law of 29 March 1958 relative to the protection of people against ionizing radiation and its implementing orders :
- the Royal decree dated 28 February 1963 setting forth the "General rules for civil protection of the people and workers against ionizing radiation", which form the basis for all regulations on the subject
- the Royal decree of 27 September 1991 settling emergency plan for nuclear risks for the Belgian territory.
- the law of 21 January 1987 concerning the risk of major hazards in conjunction with certain industrial activities (known as the "Seveso" law), its amendments and its implementing orders.
- the royal decree dated 10 June 1990 and the ministerial instructions of 11 July 1990 giving directors for drawing up emergency and intervention plans.
99 updating 11.1998
VII.3 DENMARK
Emergency intervention by the rescue preparedness - including the National Rescue Corps (formerly The Civil Defence Corps) - is regulated by The Danish Preparedness Act of 23 December 1992 (law no. 1054) and decree no. 219 of 21 May 1982.
The Danish Preparedness Act has replaced the Civil Defence Act, the Fire Services Act and the Civil Preparedness Act and formed the legal basis for the development of a single-strand, integrated preparedness system - which is defined as follows:
"Single-strand": a system where there is only one preparedness authority at the municipal level, one at the national regional level, and one at the national central level.
"Integrated": a system where the performance of all preparedness duties is based on the existing peacetime factors. The carrying-out of wartime duties is consequently seen as an intervention against the most serious of all disasters.
The fundamental principle is that the first response to a disaster shall be through the municipal rescue preparedness (an amalgamation of the municipal civil defence and the municipal fire preparedness).
Operations against rarely occurring or very complex accidents are usually carried out with the assistance of teams from the Regional Centres of the National Rescue Corps.
Besides the municipalities, other preparedness - and rescue - responsible public authorities may call in assistance from the National Rescue Corps. It is also possible to receive assistance from the National Rescue Corps by contract and local agreements with the Emergency Management Agency and the Regional Centres respectively.
The local policechief authority co-ordinates large-scale rescue operations.
The Danish system of conscription allows the national rescue preparedness to establish and train a preparedness reserve in peacetime. By calling up this reserve the operational units of the national rescue preparedness can be substantially increased in event of a crisis or war. In addition to this, 40 of the 275 municipalities are bound to provide a more instant and extensive turnout against the consequences of acts of war.
The Minister of the Interior is entitled to bring the rescue preparedness in action abroad in the event of peacetime disasters, which cause serious damage on or constitute an imminent danger to people, property or environment.
100 updating 1999
VII.4 GERMANY
Disaster management is largely governed by the 1949 Basic Law which essentially assigns responsibility for civil protection to the Länder authorities in peacetime, and by the various laws on civil protection and prevention enacted by the sixteen Länder (Federal States).
In preparedness for wartime there is a Federal law of 9 July 1968 in its last amendment of 25 March 1997 that rules the competences of the Federal government and the duty to support the sixteen Länder with special equipment and education.
Under the terms of the above law of the Länder, the head of the district (Kreis) administration is responsible for management in the event of a crisis. He is assisted by an emergency staff made up of officials from the regional administration, the Federal Technical Support Service, the municipal, regional and volunteer fire brigades, as well as special relief organizations operating on a national scale, such as the Red Cross, the Maltese Order and St. John's Ambulance Services, the Good Samaritans and the German rescue service, all of whom have undertaken to provide assistance whenever required, and meet the official qualifying requirements, as well as any other organizations or persons whose aid might prove useful. The head of the district administration acts on behalf of the Land government.
If the scale of the disaster so warrants, responsibility is transferred, in principle, not to the Land government itself but to the administration at the level in the intermediate between district and Land.
An inter-ministerial coordination group can be set up by the Federal Minister of the Interior for those cases in which the effects of a disaster are not confined within the borders of a particular Land; in such cases, the Federal Minister of the Interior coordinates the decisions without overstepping the other Federal Ministers' prerogatives.
The person responsible for disaster management may requisition individuals and their equipment. As a last resort, he can also request the assistance of the Border Guards from the Federal Minister of the Interior or of the Armed Forces from the Federal Minister of Defence. In this case, the support units are placed under his command. Only the Border Guard can exercise the functions of an auxiliary police force.
The district administrative authorities are also required to draw up emergency plans for disaster control in their region, which are constantly updated in accordance with the latest findings.
101 The law of 9 July 1968 is complemented by the following ordinances, all of which are dated 27 February 1972:
– ordinance concerning the organization of civil protection, – ordinance concerning complementary equipment for the civil protection units, – ordinance concerning complementary training for the civil protection units, – ordinance concerning the costs of extending civil protection.
Moreover, Article 1 (2) of the law on civil defence dated 9 August 1976 states that the civil defence units, equipment and installations may also be used in peacetime provided there is no conflict with their intended function.
102 updating 1994
VII.5 SPAIN
The legislation concerning civil protection is fairly elaborated. The most important laws on a national level are listed below:
– Royal decree No. 1547 dated 24 July 1980 concerning the reorganization of civil protection, – Royal decree No. 3117 dated 22 December 1980 concerning the status of civil governors, – Royal decree No. 692 dated 27 March 1981 concerning coordination of the assistance destined to repair the damage or to relieve the areas affected by an emergency or natural disaster, – Royal decree No. 1801 dated 24 July 1981 concerning reform of the peripheral administration of the State, – Ordinances dated 2 November 1981, 30 November 1984 and 23 October 1985, as well as Royal decree No. 881 dated 5 March 1982, concerning the planning and rescue services in the event of a road or rail accident involving dangerous substances, – Ordinance dated 17 June 1982 for the basic plan to fight forest fires, – Law No. 2 dated 21 January 1985 defining the functions and general organization of civil protection, – Royal decree No. 1378 dated 1 August 1985 concerning the resources to be provided for controlling cases of serious risk, disaster or public calamity, – Royal decree No. 888 dated 21 March 1986 setting out the composition, organization and functioning of the National Commission for Civil Protection, – Royal decree No. 886 dated 15 July 1988 concerning the prevention of major accidents in certain industrial activities, – Royal decree No. 952 dated 29 June 1990 amending and complementing the arrangements concerning the prevention of major accidents in certain industrial activities, – Royal decree dated 26 October 1990 establishing the Special Committee of the International Decade for Reducing Natural Disasters, – Resolution of the Council of Ministers dated 30 January 1991 approving the Basic Standards for setting up Special Plans for the chemical sector in a harmonized way, – Royal decree No. 407 dated 24 April 1992 approving the Basic Standards of Civil Protection.
The Basic Standards of Civil Protection set the framework for the integration of Civil Protection Plans in an operative environment, ready for rapid application; they define the planning range and establish the general criteria to be met by planning in order to ensure the necessary coordination of the various authorities at the national, regional and local levels; in
103 cases of national emergency, the national government may assume the general direction of relief operations.
National emergencies are: – situations in which it is necessary to declare a state of alarm, of emergency or of siege, in agreement with the Basic Law of 1981, to ensure the security of persons and of goods, – situations in which the coordination of several administrations must be taken into account, the disaster extending beyond one single autonomous community, and which require the mobilization of resources at a level beyond the community level, – finally, situations which, by their actual or forecast size, require national direction of the affected public administrations.
The Basic Standards provide for two types of emergency plan, namely territorial plans and specific plans. The former are for general emergency situations in a certain territory and are set up by the autonomous communities or lower-level authorities; they define the organization of relief services and resources provided by the authority setting up the plan and by other public authorities according to their function and the needs of the plan.
Specific plans are set up to meet specific risks requiring specific treatment. They will cover at least the following hazards: nuclear, war, flooding, seismic, chemical production and transport, forest fire, volcanic.
Specific plans related to nuclear and war hazards will always have to be elaborated in agreement with the Basic Plans, national interest being regularly affected. In these Basic Plans, the State is responsible and competent for all planning phases. The other specific plans will have to take into account the Basic Directions for each hazard.
National government, being responsible for the coordination and direction of civil protection, approves the Basic Plans and specific plans of national interest as well as the Basic Directions, after these have been examined by the National Commission for Civil Protection. The autonomous communities, on the other hand, approve those territorial and specific plans related to their own territories. The direction and coordination of such plans are the responsibility of the autonomous communities if they are not declared to be of national interest. The local entities set up and approve those territorial plans that refer to their respective territories.
National interest can be declared by the Minister of the Interior on his own initiative, on request by the President of an autonomous community or by a Representative of the Government of an autonomous community.
104 updating 03.1999 VII.6 FINLAND
Civil protection in Finland is an integrated system consisting of peacetime fire and rescue services and civil defence measures under exceptional conditions.
Fire services include fire prevention, fire fighting and other necessary measures in case of fire. Rescue services include measures necessary to rescue people and to prevent, mitigate or reduce damage or danger in other types of natural or technological emergencies, such as explosions, oil damages or pollution, cave-ins or construction collapses, traffic accidents, gas escapes or liquid leaks, floods, heavy rains or storms. Civil defence means protection of people and property from dangers of war or other crisis situations.
As in Finland there is a very strong municipal self-government, municipalities are responsible for providing fire and rescue services in their own areas. Neighbouring municipalities may take joint measures to handle these responsibilities. Fire fighting and rescue operations are under the command of the fire chief of the municipality where the fire broke out or the accident happened. If the emergency impends to expand to a major-accident or have extensive impacts, Ministry of the Interior, or another authority by its appointment, may take the lead.
Municipal fire and rescue services are administered and controlled by Provincial State Offices, while Ministry of the Interior is responsible for supreme command and supervision.
The main acts governing response measures are
- Fire and Rescue Services Act of 4 July 1975 (No 559), as last amended in 1989 - Fire and Rescue Services Decree of 31 December 1975 (No 1089), as last amended in 1991 - Civil Defence Act of 31 October 1958 (No 438) and - Civil Defence Decree of 22 May 1959 (No 237).
The Finnish Parliament has adopted a new law, where Fire and Rescue Services Act and Civil Defence Act are integrated with each other as a new Rescue Act.
For the implementation of these laws, Ministry of the Interior has the powers to give detailed regulations or general guidelines.
Other important acts in relation to response measures are for example - Public Health Act of 1965 (No 469) - Labour Protection Act of 1958 (No 299) - Constructions Act of 1989 (No 557) - Chemicals Act of 1989 (No 744) - Act on Explosive Substances of 1953 (No 263) and - Act on Combating Oil Pollution on Land of 1974 (No 378).
105 updating 1994 VII.7 FRANCE
The French system of disaster control and overall legal responsibility for civil protection - mayor in the municipality, State representative in the department, State representative in the central department of the defence zone, Minister of the Interior and Prime Minister - is set forth in the Municipal Code and Law No. 87-565 dated 22 July 1987 concerning the organization of civil protection, protection of the forests against fire and prevention of major risks. The operational tool is essentially made up of the fire and rescue services comprising civilian and military fire brigades answerable to their respective authorities with regard to the practical and technical side of operations.
The Municipal Code and the Law of 1987 assign responsibility for accident control to the mayors for all events at a municipal level and to the State representatives (prefects) for disasters occurring at an intermunicipal or departmental level. If the resources available are not sufficient to control a serious disaster, the persons responsible can request additional aid from higher authorities. In particular, the State representative can request aid from military units known as "Intervention and guidance units for civil protection" which are answerable to the Minister of the Interior, as well as from airborne civil protection forces, mine clearing units of the ministry of the interior, etc., and other resources answerable to other ministries (Red Cross, amateur radio operators, etc.). Budgets for management of emergency situations are drawn up at the municipal, departmental and national levels. The resources of the central department or national resources move into action if the municipal or departmental resources are exhausted.
Preparation of the safety measures and implementation of the resources necessary to combat major risks and disasters are determined within the framework of relief organization plans known as the ORSEC plans and emergency planning.
The ORSEC plans list the public and private resources available for use in the event of a disaster and define the conditions for their use by the authority responsible for managing the relief effort.
Depending on the nature and significance of the resources to be used, these plans encompass the following: – the national ORSEC plan drawn up by the minister responsible for civil protection and set in motion by the Prime Minister, – the zonal ORSEC plans which are drawn up and set in motion for each defence zone by the State representative in the central department of the defence zone, – the departmental ORSEC plans which are drawn up and set in motion by the prefects as representatives of the State in the departments.
106 The emergency plans drawn up and set in motion by the departmental prefects set out the measures to be taken and the means of relief to be employed in order to combat risks of a particular nature or linked to the existence and operation of specific works. These plans include the following:
– specific intervention plans defining the measures to be taken around installations or works posing a special risk, - plans which are intended to bring relief to large numbers of victims, – special relief plans for defined risks (railway accident, air crash, etc.).
Whenever an ORSEC or emergency plan is set in motion, the relief operations are commanded by the prefect as the State representative in the department.
The resources available in the department are inventoried for each individual district. The data on manpower and personnel include names, addresses, telephone numbers, times of availability, function in the event of a crisis, etc. Data concerning equipment include precise indication of the equipment's location, condition and mode of operation.
The relief effort is essentially based on the fire and local relief services with approximately 230,000 firemen (20,000 professionals, 10,000 military and 200,000 non-professionals). In order to deal with crisis situations, the resources available from local communities may also be called out as "mobile reinforcement columns". The fire brigade is increasingly active in the medical or sanitary field, currently employing 5,000 doctors, pharmacists and veterinary surgeons. In addition to the fire brigade, the civil protection forces also include guidance and intervention units, mine clearing units, and airborne forces.
Police tasks are never assigned to the military forces who are responsible for technical and support tasks. Individuals may be requisitioned by the mayor or representative of the State. Refusals to provide assistance are prosecuted in accordance with the penal code.
In order to manage emergency situations, the State representative is aided by an assistant charged with handling information, coordinating activities, and with the distribution of personnel and equipment. He can draw, among others, on special services for communications, police, rescue and relief, medical aid, transport, public works and public relations. These services can draw on civil and military forces in the department in order to perform their duties. The State representative in the department concerned also has direct access to all the forces in other departments and to those under government control.
When an ORSEC or emergency plan is set in motion by the State representative to place the department or groups on alert, he simultaneously informs the State representative in the central department of the defence zone, as well as the cabinet and the civil protection office of the Minister of the Interior which includes an Operational Centre for Civil Protection (CODISC).
The CODISC receives all the information on the evolution of the disaster and the needs of the departments involved. It helps to provide the State representative with the necessary assistance, coordinating national resources in the event of a catastrophe and answering all questions from the departments concerning civil protection. For this purpose, the CODISC
107 can draw on experts, hardware and communications equipment, special documents comprising the ORSEC plans, plans setting out the relief operations, national and international directories, organigrams, maps, and lists of experts and institutions to contact in the event of a disaster. The CODISC represents the Minister of the Interior's command centre within his responsibility for civil protection.
The State representative in the central department of the defence zone assists the State representative in the department concerned with regard to rapid deployment of the logistical resources required and also organizes resources from the neighbouring departments. In order to fulfill his duties, the State representative in the central department of the defence zone is assisted by a civil protection staff and by an interregional civil protection coordination centre, CIRCOSC.
108 updating 1999
VII.8 GREECE
The new law-decree 2344/95 and the Act of Ministerial Council no 288 of 23 December 1996 govern planning of prevention, response and relief efforts in case of natural, technological and other disasters.
The competent bodies for the implementation of civil protection measures are the following:
- The Inter – ministerial coordination body (S.D.O.) - The General Secretariat for Civil Protection - Many authorities, organizations and institutions which work together as an integral part of planning and rescue operations. (Ministries, the Fire Brigade, Police, Defence Forces, Health, Aviation and Radiation Authorities are major partners). - The General Secretariat of the Region - The Prefecture as well
A. Inter-Ministerial coordination body (s.d.o.)
The Inter – ministerial coordination body (S.D.O.) is a restricted institution set up to look after exceptional needs in peacetime and to coordinate governmental action in case of major disasters. The role and the objective of SDO is to reinforce, within a defined Government framework, the coordination activities of the General Secretariat for Civil protection in implementing the national policy during an emergency situation.
SDO is chaired by the Secretary General of the General Secretariat for Civil Protection which is the most competent body to deal with the prevention, management or relief of the consequences of any disaster. Its members include the Secretary-Generals of the Ministries of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, Development, Public Works, Forests and Environment, Health and Welfare, Merchandise Marine, Public Order, Transportations and Communications, Media and Public Information and the Deputy Chief National Defence General Staff.
In cases of disasters in the Regions of Macedonia, Thrace and Aigaio are present and the Secretary-Generals of the relating Ministries.
The Secretary-Generals of other ministries are also included, depending on the type of disaster concerned.
B. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection
The General Secretariat for Civil protection was established within the Ministry of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization. The institution deals with the prevention and the mitigation of natural, technological and other disasters within an integral political framework. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection is the most
109 competent body to deal with the prevention, the relief and the consequences management of any disaster implementing measures in order to identify and mitigate any type of hazard and to protect the population, the infrastructure, the environment and properties.
General Secretariat for Civil protection is going to establish an emergency scientific team consisting of seismologists, meteorologists, geologists, structural engineers as well as other scientists and experts responsible to give consultance in case of disasters and to present new proposals on relative subjects.
The 24/24 hours Operational Center is located at the same premises as general Secretariat for Civil protection.
When a disaster occurs, the Secretary General for Civil Protection is informed of the consequences both by the prefect and the Secretary General of the Region. The Secretary General for Civil Protection sends his orders and places the required intervention forces at their disposal.
C. Each concerned Ministry draw up its own respective general plans for the various types of disasters.
The general guidelines are provided by the framework of the overall national plan namely “XENOKRATES” (?????????S) issued by the General Secretariat for Civil protection.
Apart from the Armed Forces, the following provides the main intervention forces:
· Ministry of Public Works and Environment (PE.HO.DE.) (10 specific plans concerning: earthquakes, flash floods, snowfalls, landslides, pollution of the environment, technological accident, etc) The Ministry of Public Works and Environment (PE.XO.DE.) is responsible for floods, landslides, snowfalls and with the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (EPPO) for seismic prevention and protection (plans for prevention, education – information and civil protection following an earthquake).
· Ministry of Development: (3 specific plans concerning: radioactivity, chemical and industrial accidents, explosions, nuclear emergencies, transportation and storage of chemicals, etc) The Ministry of Development is responsible for safety regulations and measures in the industrial sector.
· Ministry of Health and Welfare: (3 specific plans concerning: drought, hot, humid, summer days, epidemic situations, etc) The Ministry of Health and Welfare provides social care. The National Center for Emergency Medical Care (EKAV) is mobilized to provide emergency health care and participates in the national search and rescue teams.
110 · Ministry of Public Order: Fire Fighting Brigade Service, State Police. (2 specific plans concerning: fire fighting and rescues both in urban areas and forest fires etc) The Body of Fire Fighting Brigade, under the Ministry of Public Order, is responsible at central and local level both for fire fighting and rescue in urban areas and forest fire fighting. This body nowadays has under its command 6,500 men fire fighting, 125 fire Stations (all over Greece), 74 fire elements and 1,250 fire vehicles.
· Ministry of Merchandise Marine: (2 specific plans concerning: search and rescue in the sea, marine pollution, etc) Search and Rescue in the sea is responsibility of Ministry of Merchandise Marine.
· Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications: (2 specific plans concerning: telecommunication problems, major transport accidents, etc)
D. The General Secretariat of the region
The 13 Regions of Greece draw up their respective regional plans and are responsible for planning and coordination of their prefectures or countries.
E. The prefecture
The 54 Prefectures of Greece draw up their respective prefectural plans.
The prefect, as the local government representative grants assistance, if the magnitude of the disaster is limited. The prefect is assisted by the Prefecture Coordination body (SNO), which is made up of the directors of the prefectural Services (military commandant, head of the State Police, directors of the interior and technical services, local fire brigade station etc.). At the prefectural level S.N.O. is the responsible decision – making body to handle emergency situations.
The prefect is entitled to requisition individuals and equipment.
111 updating 11.1998
VII.9 IRELAND
There is no specific legislation concerning the organization of relief efforts. The local authorities, police and regional medical services are generally responsible for organizing the relief work in the event of a disaster. They draw up the relief plans taking into account the central government guidelines which recommend, inter alia, the organization of the responsibilities of the various services and the tasks to be undertaken at the local level.
The general outlines of the relief plans are identical, particularly with regard to the allocation of functions and responsibilities between the various services, launching of the plans, operational control, communications, etc. However, there are also special plans for certain types of disaster. An Inter-Departmental Committee on major emergencies monitors and advises on local arrangements to facilitate the coordination and testing of emergency plans.
In the event of a disaster, management of the relief effort is coordinated by the administrative directors of the emergency services. If required by the magnitude of the disaster, they can also call on the support of civil defence reservists and other voluntary organizations, such as the Red Cross, the Order of Malta, St. John's Ambulance, etc.
Liaison officers in each ministry ensure that every request for support is dealt with rapidly and appropriately. Lists of contact officers and experts in the public services are kept up to date on a central level. There are also certain arrangements for requesting the support of the Defence Forces.
Depending on the magnitude of the disaster, the government can set up a national committee to monitor and advise on the crisis at central level. Such a Committee was set up during the 1995 flooding in Ireland.
Specific legislation governing the organization and functions of fire authorities is found in Local Government Legislation and in particular in the Fire Services Act, 1981.
The EEC Directive on Major Accident Hazards of Certain Industrial Activities commonly known as the Seveso Directive was implemented into Irish legislation by the European Communities (Major Accident Hazards of Certain Industrial Activities) Regulations, 1986, made by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. That Ministry is the Central Competent Authority for the Directive and the Local Authorities, Health Boards and Police Force are the designated Local Competent Authorities responsible for the implementation of the "off-site" emergency planning provisions of the Seveso Regulations.
112 updating 1994
VII.10 ITALY
The Italian civil protection system was given a more organic structure through the Law No. 225 dated 24 February 1992 which instituted the National Civil Protection Service with the aims of protecting life as a whole, property, residential areas and the environment from damage or from danger through natural calamities, catastrophes and other disasters.
The National Civil Protection Service is formed, on the basis of their respective competences in this field, by State, regional, provincial and communal administrations, by institutes and scientific research groups aiming at civil protection and every other, even private, institution and organization.
The task of promoting and coordinating the activity of the parts of the National Service is assigned to the President of the Council of Ministers or, on his behalf, to the Minister Charged with Coordinating Civil Protection, who make use of the Civil Protection Department.
The Law distinguishes three different types of events and sets down the criteria to establish the areas of competence and responsibility for each of these: a) natural or man-made events that can be dealt with by interventions of a single competent authority and administration in the ordinary way; b) natural or man-made events that, because of their nature and scale, require the coordinated intervention of several competent authorities and administrations in the ordinary way; c) natural calamities, catastrophes and other events which, due to their intensity and scale, have to be faced with extraordinary means and powers.
The coordination function required for type b) events is carried out by the Mayor at the communal level and by the Prefect at the provincial level.
The coordination of type c) events is taken over by the President of the Council of Ministers or, on his behalf, the Minister Charged with Coordinating Civil Protection.
When a type c) event takes place, the Council of Ministers will proclaim the "State of emergency" according to which the President of the Council of Ministers or the Minister Charged with Coordinating Civil Protection take emergency measures by ordinances, even waiving existing regulations. Such ordinances may be issued by the mentioned authorities even without prior proclaiming the state of emergency if this is necessary to avoid dangerous situations or major harm to people or property.
The 1992 Law raised the profile of the previous EMERCOM to the level of central board of the National Civil Protection Service, being now the Operations Committee for Civil Protection that is established with the Civil Protection Department to ensure a unified direction and coordination of emergency activities.
113 In this Committee, the representatives of the Ministries take over and assume the decision- making powers over all the potential and areas of responsibility encompassed by their original administrations as a whole and over actions required in order to secure civil protection. in this way it is possible to translate at once the decisions taken by the Committee during a state of emergency into operational orders to the national operative structures of the National Civil Protection Service.
The Law provided for other measures still in preparation: – fixing the composition and the functioning of the Committee, – introducing discipline into the ways of participation and collaboration of the national operative structures, – matching the organization and functions of these structures with civil protection requirements.
It should be noted that to face the more serious emergency situations no new or differing operative structures will be established and that those employed daily in less serious situations adapt instead their organization to the different situations.
The national operative structures of the National Civil Protection Service consist of: – the National Fire Brigade which is a fundamental part of civil protection, – the armed forces, – the police, – the State Forestry Corps, – national technical services, – national scientific research groups, the National Geophysics Institute and other research institutions, – the Italian Red Cross, – the structures of the National Health Service, – voluntary organizations, – the National Alpine Rescue Corps.
In emergency situations, the most important scientific body advising the National Civil Protection Service is the National Commission for Major Hazards Forecast and Prevention. Members of this Commission are scientists and experts in fields relating to the principal risks menacing national territory.
The Law confirmed the particular commitment in promoting greater participation of citizens in civil protection activities through voluntary organizations, guaranteeing the relief workers job security, reimbursement of their expenses and insurance during the relief work as well as during exercises to which they are called.
When a state of emergency is proclaimed, the prefects of the provinces affected will take all necessary measures to guarantee relief; they will implement the dispositions of the provincial emergency plans on behalf of the President of the Council of Ministers or the Minister Charged with Coordinating Civil Protection.
114 updating 10.1999 VII.11 LUXEMBOURG
Civil protection is based on the following legislation: – Law of 18 November 1976 concerning the organization of civil protection; – Law of 8 December 1981 on requisitioning in the event of armed conflicts, serious international crises and disasters; – Law of 11 January 1990 amending the law of 18 November 1976 concerning the organization of civil protection; – Grand-ducal regulation of 20 June 1980 concerning the creation of rescue units to civil protection; – Grand-ducal regulation of 22 January 1991 concerning instructions for Art. 16 of the Law of 8 December 1981 requisitioning in the event of armed conflicts, serious international crises and disasters; – Law of 25 April 1994 concerning the special discharge for volunteers of civil protection, fire services and rescue units; – Grand-ducal regulation of 3 June 1994 concerning the special discharge for volunteers of civil protection, fire services and rescue units; – Grand-ducal regulation of 15 February 1995 concerning the training of the population and of the rescue units of civil protection.
Fire services are based on the following legislation: – Law on municipalities of 13 December 1988 (Art. 100-102) – Grand-ducal regulation of 7 May 1992 concerning the organization of fire services and rescue units. – Ministerial regulation of 28 December 1993 concerning instructions for Art. 22 of the Grand-ducal regulation of 7 May 1992.
Management of the relief effort in the event of a disaster is the responsibility of the Minister of the Interior, assisted by the director of the national civil protection service. The latter presides over an emergency staff made up of the mayors of the municipalities affected and representatives of the gendarmerie, police, army and public work units, as well as by representatives and experts from other public authorities, depending on the type of disaster involved.
The Minister of the Interior can draw on special civil protection units, as well as on the fire brigades in agreement with the mayors. The Minister for the Public Forces places gendarmerie, police and army units at his disposal. The Minister of the Interior may requisition individuals and property in accordance with the legal orders and regulations in return for compensation at a later date. Spontaneous benevolent action by individuals is not considered desirable, as the management problems they raise outweigh any real help they might give. Specific emergency plans have been drawn up for certain serious accident and disaster risks in addition to the general plan organizing emergency relief.
115 updating 1999
VII.12 NETHERLANDS
The measures to be taken in the event of an emergency are governed by the law on civil protection and the law concerning the fire services, both of which came into force on 1 March 1985.
The mayors are responsible for organizing and preparing disaster control. The forces involved for this purpose are explicitly placed under their command.
In the case of emergencies or disaster risks affecting more than one municipality or involving interests outside the municipalities, the Royal Commissioner of the province can issue orders directing operations and coordinate operational control throughout the affected region without infringing upon the responsibility of the mayors.
Where required in the public interest (economic or social interests, or when the resources available must be used as economically as possible), the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations may, by virtue of his function as general coordinator of civil protection, issue directives relating to operational control by the Royal Commissioner.
Control of civil protection operations rests, in principle, with the head of the fire brigade. This principle can be taken into account when drawing up the emergency plans, although it does not apply in certain cases, such as floods. The law provides that the mayor can assign operational control to another person in such cases.
The relief work is carried out by permanent emergency services, such as the fire brigade, police, basic medical services, hospitals, ambulances, etc. which can rapidly be reinforced. Provincial and national services, various specialist organizations and institutions and even the armed forces can also be called on to provide support.
116 updating 11.1995
VII.13 PORTUGAL
Between 1991 and 1995 important legislation was introduced and enacted in order to update and upgrade the Portuguese Civil Protection System, such as:
– Law No. 113/91, August 29 (Civil Protection Basic Law);
– Law-Decree No. 203/93, June 3 (National Service for Civil Protection Organic Law);
– Law-Decree No. 222/93, June 18 (Organization of Emergency Operations Centres at National, Regional and Local Levels;
– Decree No. 18/93, June 28 (Civil Protection Support by Armed Forces);
– Decree No. 20/93, July 13 (Cooperation of Scientific and Technological Institutions and Organizations with Civil Protection System);
– Decree No. 23/93, July 19 (National Committee for Civil Protection);
– Law-Decree No. 204/93, Jun. 3 (Seveso Directive Implementation);
– Decree No. 720/94, August 11 (National Service for Civil Protection and Delegations at District level organic personnel);
– Resolution of the Portuguese Cabinet No. 88/94, September 1 (Rules for the National Committee for Civil Protection);
– Decree No. 1033/95, August 25 (Structure of the Delegations for Civil Protection at District level in accordance with the level of risks).
Under the Organic Law for Civil Protection, the National Emergency Plan (NEP) was worked out by the National Service for Civil Protection (SNPC) through 1992-1993 and approved by the Portuguese Cabinet on September 1, 1994.
117 updating 10.1999
VII.14 SWEDEN
The Swedish Rescue Services Act, which came into force in 1987, regulates society's response to all kinds of emergencies or accidents, not only fire. Every municipality is responsible for the rescue service within its territorial boundaries. Rescue services in the context of the act means the rescue actions that national, regional and local authorities shall be responsible for to prevent or minimize harm to people, property or the environment when accidents occur or when there is an imminent threat of accident.
The County Administrative Board (the regional organization of State Government) shall take over responsibility for emergency response if there is a very serious accident requiring regional or national coordination. The State is also responsible for special types of rescue service, i.e. air rescue, sea rescue and search for missing people as well as rescue operations when oil or other harmful chemicals are spilled at sea. The County Administrative Board is responsible for the rescue service when the public need protection from a radioactive release of decontamination after a radioactive release.
The Government may always, under certain conditions, instruct a certain County Administrative Board or another governmental authority to take responsibility for the rescue services.
Major accidents in Sweden are investigated by the Board of Accident Investigation. Its reports on what caused the accidents and how the rescue operations were carried out is an important tool in the work of improving the national organization for emergencies services.
118 updating 1994
VII.15 UNITED KINGDOM
The United Kingdom rarely experiences natural disasters of a scale to necessitate intervention by central government. There is, therefore, no one national organization charged with formulating disaster plans.
It is fundamental to the arrangements for dealing with disasters in the United Kingdom that the first response is at the local level. Where local services find the scale of a disaster puts it beyond the capacity of their own resources, their recourse is usually to mutual aid arrangements with services in adjacent areas.
However, central government will usually have a role to play. This may be an active role - where, for example, local services seek specialist advice or assistance from a central government department. On other occasions the central government role may be limited to dealing with Parliamentary, media and public inquiries. In either case, a specific government department will be nominated to take the lead.
Well defined arrangements exist under which local authorities may seek assistance from the armed forces. In extreme circumstances assistance might be requested from neighbouring countries, from Member States of the EC or from NATO.
Legislation relating to disasters is restricted to: – Section 138 of the Local Government Act 1972. This allows local authorities to incur whatever expenditure they consider necessary if a disaster is imminent or has occurred. – The Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard (CIMAH) Regulations 1985. These regulations implement the ECs SEVESO directive. – The Civil Protection in Peacetime Act 1986. This gives local authorities the power to use their civil defence resources (required for use in war) to mitigate the effect of peacetime disasters; and allows local authorities to plan for the use of these resources when preparing peacetime disaster plans.
An arrangement known as the "Belwin Scheme" provides special financial assistance from central government to local authorities who, as a consequence of a peacetime disaster, incur an undue financial burden. This scheme is discretionary and there is no automatic entitlement to assistance.
In 1993 central government introduced a policy called Integrated Emergency Management (IEM) in tandem with new civil defence regulations. The overall aim of IEM is for local authorities to maintain a civil defence preparedness for war based on an extension of their arrangements for dealing with peacetime disasters. As a consequence, central government grant that was previously paid specifically for wartime civil defence planning will continue to be paid to support IEM.
119 PART VIII
DOCUMENTATION CENTRES D O C U M E N T A T I O N C E N T R E S
1. AUSTRIA 9. ITALY Bundesministerium für Inneres Dipartimento della Protezione civile Zivilschutzabteilung Servizio Documentazione Herrengasse 7, Postfach 100 Servizio Formazione e Biblioteca A - 1014 WIEN Via Ulpiano 11 I - 00198 ROMA
2. BELGIUM 10. LUXEMBOURG Ministère de l'Intérieur Direction de la Protection Civile Direction générale de la Protection Civile rue Robert Stümper, 1 Direction des études et de la documentation L - 2557 LUXEMBOURG rue Royale, 66 B- 1000 - BRUSSELS
3. DENMARK 11. THE NETHERLANDS Ministry of the Interior Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken Emergency Management Agency en Koninkrijksrelaties 16, Datavej Directie Informatievoorziening DK - 3460 BIRKERØD Afdeling Biblioteek en Archief Postbus 20011 4. FINLAND NL - 2500 EA DEN HAAG Ministry of Interior Rescue Department NIBRA Kirkkokatu 12 Kemperbergerweg 783 P.O. box 257 NL-6816 RW Arnhem FIN - 00171 HELSINKI 12. PORTUGAL 5. FRANCE Serviço Nacional de Protecção Civil Ministère de l'Intérieur Centro de Documentação e Informação 11, rue des Saussaies Avenida do Forte F - 75800 PARIS Cedex 08 P - 2795 CARNAXIDE
6. GERMANY 13. SPAIN Bundesministerium des Innern Dirección de Protección civile Abteilung O/Referat 04b Calle Quintiliano, 21 Graurheindorfer Str. 198 E - 28002 MADRID D - 53117 BONN 14. SWEDEN 7. GREECE Swedish Rescue Services Agency Ministry of the Interior Department for Risk Management and Public Administration and Decentralization Environmental Impact 2, Evangelistrias Str. Rescue Services Information Bank (RIB) GR - 105 63 ATHENS Karolinen S - 651 80 KARLSTAD 8. IRELAND Department of the Environment and Local Government 15. UNITED KINGDOM c/o Mr Kevin Ring, National correspondent Emergency Planning College Custom House The Hawkhills, Easingwold . IRL - DUBLIN 1 UK - Y06 3 EG YORK
16. EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Environment: Civil protection unit 200, rue de la Loi - (B - 1049 BRUSSELS) http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/civil/index.htm
121 PART IX
LIST OF TEXTS CONCERNING COMMUNITY COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF CIVIL PROTECTION
122 LIST OF TEXTS CONCERNING COMMUNITY COOPERATION
IN THE FIELD OF CIVIL PROTECTION
If you would like to obtain the following texts(*), please do not hesitate to contact : EUROPEAN COMMISSION Civil Protection Unit 200, rue de la Loi Office: TRMF 00/75, B-1049 Brussels BELGIUM
(*) The texts listed below are available in all the official Community languages, except Finnish and Swedish.
1) Resolution of the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 25 June 1987, on the introduction of Community cooperation on civil protection. (OJ n° C 176 of 4/7/1987, p. 1)
2) Resolution of the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 13 February 1989, on the new developments in Community cooperation on civil protection. (OJ n° C 44 of 23/2/1989, p. 3)
3) Resolution of the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 23 November 1990, on Community cooperation on civil protection. (OJ n° C 315 of 14/12/1990, p. 1)
4) Resolution of the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 23 November 1990, on improving mutual aid between Member States in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. (OJ n° C 315 of 14/12/1990, p. 3)
5) Resolution of the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 8 July 1991 on improving mutual aid between Member States in the event of natural or technological disaster. (OJ n° C 198 of 27/7/1991, p. 1)
6) Council Decision of 29 July 1991 on the introduction of a single European emergency call number. (OJ n° L 217 of 6/8/1991, p. 31)
7) Resolution of the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 31 October 1994 on strengthening Community cooperation on civil protection. (OJ No C 313/01)
8) Council Decision of 19 December 1998 establishing a Community action programme in the field of civil protection (OJ No L 8 of 14/1/1998 p. 20)
9) Council Decision establishing a Community action programme in the field of civil protection (OJ No L 327 of 21/12/1999 p.53)
10) Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council of 9 December 1999 on co-operation with candidate central and eastern European countries and Cyprus on civil protection. (OJ No C373 23/12/99 p. 2)
123 PART X: ANNEX
NUCLEAR EMERGENCIES
124 AUSTRIA (updating 11.1998)
In a nuclear emergency, the responsibility for general radiation aspects lies within the Federal Ministry of Health and Consumer Protection.
The implementation of countermeasures is generally done on a regional level (province, district).
The Federal Alarm Centre in the Federal Ministry of the Interior acts as the message relay centre for the Ministry of Health, Department for Radiation Protection, whose experts can be contacted by pagers and mobile phones around the clock. If an incident is reported to the Federal Alarm Centre, the radiation experts are immediately consulted. If their assessment concludes that danger is imminent, all responsible authorities are then notified at once.
Appropriate general recommendations and principal plans of action at a federal level serve as the groundwork for preparatory measures taken at the provincial level. If necessary, a National Crisis Management Board will convene which encompasses all federal ministries, the regional governments and socio-professional interest groups as well as the Austrian radio and television network and the Austrian Press Agency. This team of experts advises the Federal Government; it coordinates all measures necessary for emergency response at short notice and provides for a long-term concerted proceeding on all levels of the public administration.
After information from foreign authorities, IAEA, measurements of the Early Radiation Warning System etc. experts of the Radiation Protection Department of the Federal Ministry of Health immediately evaluate the information. On this basis urgent first countermeasures may be decided within the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Crisis Management Board may be summoned.
From within the National Crisis Management Centre representatives of mass media (radio/TV and press agency) have direct contact to their media and the public. All information and general instructions for provincial alarm centres are given by the Federal Alarm Centre. An information unit concerning information of the public, mass media, etc. is installed within the Federal Crisis Management Centre. This includes telephone information desks as well as recorded telephone information service.
The Austrian early radiation system continuously monitors external gamma dose rate throughout the country. Near the borders several aerosol and radioiodine warning devices are installed. Radionuclide specife monitoring of air, precipitation, surface waters and foodstuffs is managed by a laboratory based network. Additionally within the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Army, several hundred caborne and airborne dose rate measurement units are installed.
125 In transport accidents involving radioactive material in general experts and measuring units of the Austrian Research Centre Seibersdorf are put into action. Administrative competence usually lies within provincial or district authorities.
Austria is party to the IAEA-Conventions on early notification of a nuclear accident, on assistance in the case of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency and on nuclear safety and has bilateral agreements with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Belarus and Tajikistan.
BELGIUM (updating 1998)
In an accident situation with an important and/or complex radiological situation with impact for the public, the national nuclear emergency plan can be activated on the initiative of the RPS (Radiation Protection Service) via the CGCIR (government crises and coordination centre). The RPS of the Department of Public Health and Environment coordinate interventions from the radiological point of view.
In transport accidents emergency numbers 100 (fire brigade, ambulance) and/or 101 police are used for calling the first emergency persons to the accident scene. The RPS shall also be contacted. If necessary, monitoring cars can be sent to the accident location.
Belgium has concluded bilateral conventions for mutual assistance with Luxembourg, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Formal arrangements exist with the Netherlands and France for information exchange in emergency situations at Doel, Borsele and Chooz.
DENMARK (updating 11.1998)
Nuclear emergency preparedness and response are the responsibility of the Minister of the Interior and are handled by the Emergency Management Agency. The main objectives of the emergency preparedness and response system are: 24h monitoring the radiological situation, duty officer for immediate reaction, implement protective measures if necessary, keep relevant authorities informed, keep the public well informed and try to adapt reactions of individuals and society as a whole to avoid or reduce adverse effects.
In an emergency situation the duty officer declares a state of readiness and summons a staff consisting of people from relevant authorities and the National Denmark Radio.
The Emergency Management Agency is currently monitoring the radioactive background radiation at 11 automatic stations and can with short notice mobilize at least 33 vehicleborne monitoring teams from 6 National Rescue Centers throughout the country and one helicopterborne team to monitoring task over Danish waterways.
All monitoring teams are equipped with dose rate meters (gamma and beta), dosimeters, maps, written instructions and radiocommunications to their command post.
126 A helicopterborne system for surveying contaminated areas can be mobilized within 24 hours. Specialized assistance can be obtained from the Risoe National Laboratory, 13 other laboratories and 10 hospitals.
In transport accident situations involving radioactive material the competent authority regarding radiation protection, the National Institute of Radiation Hygiene, takes the central role. If necessary, the Nuclear Safety Division (part of the Emergency Management Agency) participates in the emergency response.
FINLAND (updating 03.1999)
The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK) is the competent authority and the national contact point in case of nuclear or radiological hazards. In an emergency, it obtains all the monitoring results, meteorological information and technical data concerning the source from the other authorities and institutes. Based on these facts, STUK makes review of the situation and the assessment of health effects and gives recommendations for protective measures to executive authorities, which are Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Forest, Ministry of Trade and Industry, National Food Administration etc.
The organization for national radiation monitoring involves several authorities and institutes: STUK, Ministry of the Interior, the Defence Forces, the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Seismological Institute of the University of Helsinki. The Finnish monitoring system is designed to detect releases emanating from foreign and domestic sources. Nationwide monitoring is carried out through 300 automatic stations for external dose rate measurement, stations for airborne radioactivity measurement in 20 localities and by mobile survey teams. When called upon, units of the Air Force collect dust samples from the upper atmosphere. STUK is the central research institute and in an emergency it organizes measurements and measures environmental samples, radioactivity of foodstuffs and thyroid and whole body counting.
The duties and responsibilities of the authorities and different institutions and establishments participating in rescue operations are defined in off-site emergency plans. These plans are prepared by local authorities under the supervision of the Provincial State Office. Ministry of the Interior is responsible for general planning, supervision and coordination of emergency preparedness and response.
In major emergencies, Ministry of the Interior directs civil defence operations and decides civil defence measures. It calls up representatives of different executive authorities for coordination of countermeasures. Information to the public directly via radio (emergency bulletins) is given by responsible authorities in cooperation with other counterparts taking care of the situation. Information is also given via press releases, press conferences and telephone services, on text-television pages etc.
FRANCE (updating 1994)
127 While the "Ministère de l'Intérieur" is ultimately the Competent Authority for emergency response, in practice it is the next highest administrative level, the "Préfet de Département" who takes the lead in the operations. In France there are 96 Départements.
Although the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA) does not have competence in accident management outside its establishments, the geographical distribution of its centres, its know-how on radiological protection and its equipment which could be deployed make this organization ideally suited for intervention operations throughout the country. Therefore, CEA may be requested to provide assistance in case of accidents under the authority of the Préfet.
In the structure of the internal organization of emergency response of the CEA, two levels of intervention have been established. The ZIPE, first level emergency zones (zones d'intervention de premier échelon) is the level of intervention which is put into force if immediate action with light equipment is requested. Ten nuclear research establishments of the CEA are able to deploy ZIPE, which are located in the main part of the territory (see map). The ZIDE, second level emergency zones (zones d'intervention de deuxième échelon) is activated for the control of serious accidents. Under these circumstances, heavy equiment such as remote handling tools, mobile laboratories, decontamination vehicles and other special devices, will be deployed. Five CEA establishments are able to deploy ZIDE.
In the case of a severe accident involving radiological consequences for the public, an emergency cell can be convened, 24 hours a day, in the Institut de Protection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IPSN) of the CEA located in Fontenay-aux-Roses. This cell will coordinate the operations. An engineer on duty can be contacted by phone or by an automatic call system to implement this emergency cell.
While all emergency response operations take place under the direct authority of the Préfet, the care for the environment in the exclusive responsibility of the "Ministère de la Santé". Under the umbrella of this Health Ministry, a service has been set up for monitoring environmental contamination as well as the health interventions. This Service, the Service Central de Protection contre les Rayonnements Ionisants (SCPRI) is located in Le Vésinet (near Paris). It is fully equipped for responding to accidents involving radioactivity: special cars, wagons... Support from the IPSN can also be provided.
In each "Département", "a plan de secours spécialisé-transport de matières radioactives" is available. This emergency plan concerns land and coastal accidents dealing with the UNO class 7 except "nuclear radioactive materials" (for which physical Protection Measures are requested) which are transported under the responsibility of the "Ministère de la Défense".
128 GERMANY (updating 1999)
The responsibility for dealing with any emergency, which may affect the public, rests with the State (Länder) competent authorities in the sixteen States of the Republic. The State Governments can provide some technical assistance following an accident involving radioactive material. Expert emergency advice and assistance is provided by a number of private organizations, for example: Kerntechnischer Hifszug.
In the event of an accident, the emergency organization will be informed through the local emergency services. The emergency organization then take operational responsibility for dealing with the situation but if the public are likely to be affected then the competent authority of the State government, in most cases the Ministry of the Interior, coordinates the emergency action. Consignors of radioactive material are required to have emergency plans and to have contracts with one of the emergency organizations. The German Railway Company, Deutsche Bahn (DB), has its own emergency teams which are able to deal with accidents on the railway involving radioactive material. As with road transport, the State government becomes involved if the public are at risk.
GREECE (updating 1998)
The General Secretariat for Civil Protection is responsible for the overall management of all types of emergencies, including nuclear accidents. In this framework the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (G.A.E.C.) is the competent authority to deal with emergencies arising from nuclear accidents, increased radioactivity levels or local radiological accidents.
The G.A.E.C. operates the Emergency Center, located at it premises and it is the focal point for all incoming or outgoing information concerning the emergency. The G.A.E.C. is responsible for the environmental radioactivity measurements. It operates the automatic telemetric gamma radiation measuring system covering the whole country and coordinates the Peripheral Laboratories.
The management of the emergency is carried out through the Emergency Center with the managing committees operating a multidisciplinary teams of experts, which are able to be present all over the country in a short time notice, with sufficient equipment. The Emergency Center receives all the data and measurements from the various teams, the meteorological Service, the ECURIE and the Emercon Systems, etc. The data are analysed by the teams of experts in order to evaluate the risks involved and the evolution of the event. The Managing Committees take the appropriate and necessary decision for preventing or mitigating the harmful effects.
129 IRELAND (updating 1998)
The competent authority is the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, which also takes a leading role in dealing with accidents involving radioactive material. Equipment and personnel can be deployed from Dublin to assist in dealing with such an accident. In addition, a Civil Defence Organization exists throughout the country which is equipped with radiation detection equipment and which could provide first stage assistance.
All carriers of radioactive material are required to have their own emergency plans. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland provides notes for drivers and others involved in the transport of radioactive materials, which describe the procedures to be adopted following an accident.
Finally, the Ministry for Public Enterprise, which has overall responsibility for ensuring the co-ordination of activities relating to nuclear emergencies, is currently updating the National Emergency Plan for Nuclear Accidents.
ITALY (updating 1994)
The responsible Authority for nuclear and radiological emergencies is the Minister for Civil Protection Coordination, for events concerning large areas of the country. Otherwise, the local Fire Brigade, under the jurisdiction of the Prefect (Government representative in the Province) would be present at small accidents. ENEA/DISP gives the Fire Brigade the necessary technical support through a team of experts who are able to be present in a short time, all over the country and with sufficient equipment. Also, in ENEA/DISP, there is an Emergency Centre with a multidisciplinary team of experts, available for large scale events. This Centre is able to collect all data coming from the plant manager or the carrier, from meteorological stations, from measurement teams, to analyse them and make an evaluation about the risks and the evolution of the event. The collated data are transmitted to the Ministry for Civil Protection Coodination, which takes the appropriate decisions for dealing with the event.
All four main ENEA Reasearch Centres also have their own nuclear and radiological emergency organizations able to intervene if requested. The European Joint Research Centre of Ispra has the same structure.
LUXEMBOURG (updating 10.1998)
The emergency response for radiological or nuclear emergencies is in the competence of the Radiation Protection Division within the Ministry of Health and of the National Civil Defence Organization within the Ministry of Interior. Within the Civil Defence Organization exists the national and international contact point (CSU, Central des Secours d'Urgence 112) for all radiological and non-radiological emergencies. This is the only national and international contact point occupied by operators on a 24-hours basis.
130 In case of alert in a radiological or nuclear emergency, the operators of the CSU have to contact the duty officers of the two competent authorities who have to decide of further steps.
The alert may be triggered by the national automatic monitoring network, by the notification from competent authorities of neighbouring countries as fixed in bilateral agreements or by international arrangements for the early notification.
In case of a severe radiological or nuclear emergency involving radiological consequences for members of the public, the national emergency plan is automatically implemented. A special emergency and coordinating cell is formed to provide the necessary information and advice to implement protective actions. This cell may also give advice to request assistance from neighbouring countries. Another cell is responsible to collect the necessary radiological information, to provide an overview of the radiological situation and to evaluate the sanitary risks within the affected areas.
NETHERLANDS (updating 1994)
The responsibility for the coordination of emergency response actions involving radioactive substances rests with the Inspectorate for the Environment, Department of nuclear legislation monitoring of the same Ministry of Environment. In case of an emergency the Inspectorate will activate the Dutch Institute of Public Health and Environmental protection (RIVM) at Bilthoven, which is the national institute where the emergency resources can be obtained. Further assistance is also available from the ECN, KEMA and IRI, research centres at Petten, Arnhem and Delft respectively.
The competent authority for the transport of radioactive materials is the Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and Environment, Directorate for Chemicals, External Safety and Radiation Protection in Association with the Ministry of Transport.
PORTUGAL (updating 07.1994)
The responsibility for the coordination of emergency planning for nuclear accidents lies with the Committee for Nuclear Accidents and Radiological Emergencies.
The responsibility for the coordination of emergency response lies with the National Service for Civil Protection (SNPC). To establish better coordination among all the agents that contribute to nuclear emergency response, through a governmental joint dispatch dated June 27, 1994, the above-mentioned Committee for Nuclear Accidents and Radiological Emergencies settled down to work under the chairmanship of the Minister of Interior, and the participation of representatives from SNPC, General Directorate of Health, National Institute for Medical Emergency, General Directorate of Environment, Institute for Protection of Agriculture - Nourishing Production and the Meteorological Institute.
131 SPAIN (updating 1994)
In an accident situation involving radioactive substances the coordination of the different organizations which may be involved is the responsibility of the Civil Government of the Province, with the assistance of the local authorities and other interested parties. The main consignors of radioactive material have established a contingency plan together with the Competent Authority, the Nuclear Safety Council and Civil Protection Department. The carrier's personnel must in an accident situation inform the Civil Government of the Province or the Public Forces who will immediately inform all the Administrative Departments involved.
UNITED KINGDOM (updating 12.1995)
In the event of an accident at a civil nuclear site, which required measures to be taken to protect the public, a local emergency centre would become operational to coordinate the local response. All organizations with a major role to play would be represented at the centre, which would be under the chairmanship of the police. As the lead government department, the Department of Trade and Industry would set up a Nuclear Emergency Briefing Room (NEBR) in London, or, in the event of an accident in Scotland, the Scottish Office would set up the Scottish Office Emergency Room (SOER) in Edinburgh to coordinate any necessary national response. Representatives of the principal government departments and agencies would be sent to the NEBR or SOER where communication links would be established with the local emergency centre. The DTI is also responsible for alerting the EC, the IAEA and neighbouring countries with which the UK has bilateral agreements.
The Secretary of State for Transport, or, in the case of land transport in Northern Ireland, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, would take the lead for accidents occurring during the transport of civil radioactive materials.
Contingency plans exist specific to the mode of transport, for example the Nuclear Industry Road Emergency Plan (NIREP), which covers road transport accidents. Once the Force Communication Centre (FCC) of the Atomic Energy Authority police is informed of an accident, the Responsible Site (the consignor) and the Near Site (the closest health physics support) are contacted. The health physicist will make appropriate measurements and provide advice to the emergency services. Additional health physics survey teams may be called out if required.
Similar arrangements exist for transport by rail of irradiated nuclear fuel in England and Wales in the form of the Irradiated Fuel Transport Flask Emergency Plan. A similar scheme operates in Scotland.
For accidents at sea, the Director of the Marine Emergencies Organization has responsibilities for dealing with the incident in the UK territorial waters and the high seas under the Intervention of the High Seas Convention and its protocol and other international agreements.
132 These emergency and contingency plans are complemented by the National Arrangements for Incidents involving Radioactivity (NAIR), which are designed to provide advice and assistance to the police for those incidents that are not readily foreseeable or for which the feasibility of comprehensive emergency planning is limited. The arrangements are coordinated by the National Radiological Protection Board, who publish a handbook containing the addresses and telephone numbers of participating establishments.
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