EU Civil Protection

ESTONIA

GREECE

ITALY

The "civil protection" is the set of activities put in place to protect the integrity of life, properties, settlements and the environment from damages or risk of damages arising from disasters: risk prediction and prevention, rescue to affected populations, contrast and overcome of the emergency and mitigation of risks.

Civil protection is not a task assigned to a sole administration, but is a function belonging to a complex system: the National Service of Civil Protection. Established by Law n. 225 of 1992, the National Service has as its components the central government of the State, the Regions and Autonomous Provinces, Provinces, municipalities and mountain communities.

The National Fire Department, the Armed Forces, the Police, the National Forestry Corps, the scientific community, the Italian Red Cross, the structures of the National Health Service, voluntary organizations, the National Mountain and Alpine Rescue Corps form the operating structures.

The National Service operates at central, regional and local level, in compliance with the principle of subsidiarity. The local context of our country, subject to a variety of risks, makes necessary a civil protection system that, in every area, ensures the presence of human resources, facilities and operational capabilities able to intervene quickly in case of emergency, but also to operate for prevention and, as far as possible, predict potential disasters.

The first response to the emergency, whatever the nature and extent of the event, needs to be guaranteed at the local level, from the municipal structure, which is the closest institution to the citizen. The first head of civil protection in each municipality is, therefore, the Mayor. But when the event cannot be met by the means available to the municipality, the higher levels are activated through an integrated and coordinated action: the Province, the Prefecture, the Region, to the involvement of the State in the event of a national emergency.

The strength of such a complex system of competences is the guidance and coordination entrusted to the President of the Council of Ministers, which makes use of the Civil Protection Department

Civil Protection Department

The Civil Protection Department has been grounded in the offices of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers since 1982.

It has a guiding role, in agreement with regional and local governments, of projects and activities for the prevention, forecast and monitoring of risks and intervention procedures that are common to the whole system.

The Department coordinates the response to natural disasters, catastrophes or other events - events of C type - that intensity and extent, should be faced with extraordinary powers and means.

Moreover, also in agreement with the regional governments and local authorities, working in the drafting of legislation on the prevention of risks and regulatory measures needed to cope with disasters and minimize damage to people and property.

It promotes drills, national and international training projects and activities that contribute to spreading the culture of civil protection. Knowing risks affecting your territory is a fundamental tool of self-protection. Find out what you need to do before, during and after an emergency. You can see the website http://www.protezionecivile.gov.it/jcms/en/rischi.wp

PORTUGAL

The National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC) is a central company, of the direct administration of the State, with administrative and financial capacity and with its own patrimony.

It was born in 2007, and resulted from the merger of the National Civil Protection Service, National Fire Service and National Specialized Commission of Forest Fire, and later the National Council of Civil Emergency Planning (CNPCE)

ANPC pursues, in accordance with Decree-Law no. 73/2013 of May 31, as amended by Decree-Law no. 163/2014 of October 31, with attributions in the scope of forecasting, risk management and planning emergency, protection and rescue activities, firefighters' activities, civil protection resources, and the application and enforcement of applicable standards within the scope of their duties.

THE ANPC’ S ROLE IN NATURAL DISASTERS

ANPC has developed over time activities that lead to the knowledge of seismic risk and its mitigation, namely, the study of seismic risk in more vulnerable regions, participation in missions in the national territory and abroad for the purpose of studying and gathering lessons about the effects of seismic action on buildings and on the response of relief and information and awareness actions of the population and lectures in public and private institutions.

In relation to floods, the preventive action in portugal, is carried out in two components, the forecast, since there is continuous monitoring of the levels of Portuguese and Spanish reservoirs and of the meteorological conditions, which makes possible the anticipation of mitigation actions, and monitoring, . This last component is strongly hydrological, being the responsibility of the System of Monitoring and Alert of Water Resources (SVARH)

Also, in drought situations, together with the Portuguese Environment Agency and the Drought Prevention and Protection System, ANPC has a forecasting role, which makes it possible to anticipate control actions, and at a time when resources are depleted these are responsible for providing water to populations with alternative means.

For more information, visit the website http://www.prociv.pt/pt-pt/Paginas/default.aspx

REUNION

ROMANIA

TURKEY