Crises and emergency management
Photo: Gavin Spencer
The County Administrative Board cooperates with different bodies on a local, regional and central level to create a secure and safe society. We must have contingency plans in place to handle situations which arise before, during and after an emergency.
During an emergency the County Administrative Board shall provide support for all collaborative authorities, organizations and key public enterprises and coordinate its efforts with theirs. If there is a state of emergency or war breaks out, the County Administrative Board should lead and coordinate all civil operations in the county and liaise with military operations.
In the case of extensive rescue operations the County Administrative Board takes over responsibility for the operations of the municipal rescue services in the municipality or municipalities concerned.
Each county has civil liability for accidents or emissions from power plants, but in Uppsala, Kalmar and Halland County, the County Administrative Board also has extended emergency information concerning the security around nuclear power plants and the risk of emissions of radioactive substances.
We also ensure that the municipal rescue services comply with the the Accident Prevention Act (SFS 2003:778).
The principles of the emergency management system
The Swedish emergency management system is based on a number of principles, summarised below.
The responsibility principle
The person who is responsible for an activity under normal conditions should also be responsible for such operations in an emergency situation.
The equality principle
Operations should, as far as possible, be organized in the same way during emergency situations as under normal conditions.
The proximity principle
Emergencies should be handled at the lowest possible level in society. On a central level the Government is the body responsible for this area, on the regional level it is the County Administrative Board and on the local level it is the municipalities.