Bevölkerungsschutz

Civil protection is the umbrella term for disaster control and civil defense.

Protecting the population from special dangers that cannot be averted by its own efforts is one of the most important tasks of the modern state.

According to Article 73 Para. 1 No. 1 of the Basic Law (GG), the federal government is exclusively responsible for the protection of the civilian population in the event of defense. The tasks of civil defense are regulated in the Civil Defense Act.

The task of civil defense is to use non-military measures to

• the population,
• their homes and workplaces,
• civilian services that are vital to life or defense,
• businesses,
• facilities and installations as well as
• cultural property

from the effects of war and to eliminate or mitigate their consequences.

While disaster control is a system of hazard prevention and assistance in the event of exceptional incidents organized in accordance with state law, the Civil Protection Act integrates the potential provided for disaster control in the federal states in its entirety into civil protection planning.

The terms"disaster control" and"civil defence" do not refer to independent organizations, but only to different emergency response tasks.

The federal states and the federal government make use of all available personnel and material resources to fulfill their respective tasks on the basis of special laws.

Further information on civil protection and civil defense can be found on the website of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK).

Ministry of the Interior, Municipal Affairs, Housing and Sport of the State of Schleswig-Holstein (MIKWS).