Protection against accidents
Most commonly, the municipality are responsible for rescue services. If a rescue mission involves several municipalities, the County Administrative Board can help to decide who should lead it. In exceptional cases, we can take over responsibility for the municipal rescue service.
Emergency services' goal is for fewer to die or be injured and for less to be destroyed.
The division of responsibility between state and municipality
It is primarily the municipality that is responsible for the rescue service, but in some cases the state bears the responsibility. The state is responsible for the emergency services for:
- mountain rescue,
- air rescue,
- sea rescue,
- environmental rescue service at sea in Vänern, Vättern, Mälaren and,
- maritime territories at sea,
- investigation of missing persons,
- release of radioactive substances.
If a rescue mission affects a larger area than within a municipality, the County Administrative Board must decide who should lead the mission if the rescue leaders from the affected municipalities have not decided this on their own.
In the event of an extensive rescue operation, a County Administrative Board that is responsible for civil areas may take over responsibility for the rescue service in the municipality or municipalities affected by the operation. If the rescue effort also includes state rescue services, the County Administrative Board taking over is responsible for coordinating the rescue efforts. The County Administrative Board must have a plan for this.
Dangerous activity
The County Administrative Board takes decisions about so-called dangerous operations. Dangerous operations are facilities where there is danger that an accident would create big harm to a person or environment. The Law about protection against accidents decides what counts as a dangerous operation.
As the owner or operator of a facility covered by the law, you are obliged to, among other things:
- maintain or pay for readiness of staff and property to a reasonable extent,
- take necessary measures to prevent or limit serious damage.
The municipality is responsible for supervising these facilities.
Supervision, advice and support
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) is responsible for supervising the municipalities' rescue services. MSB is also responsible for offering advice and support to the rescue service. The County Administrative Board's role is to support MSB by contributing with the local perspective, among other things.