Civil defense (civil defence), (see spelling differences) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery. Programmes of this sort were initially discussed at least as early as the 1920s and were implemented in many countries, but only became widespread in the USA after the threat of nuclear weapons was realised.
Since the end of the Cold War, the focus of civil defense has largely shifted from military attack to emergencies and disasters in general. The new concept is described by a number of terms, each of which has its own specific shade of meaning, such as crisis management, emergency management, emergency preparedness, contingency planning, emergency services, and civil protection.
In some countries, civil defense is seen as a key part of "total defense". For example in Sweden, the Swedish word totalförsvar refers to the commitment of a wide range of resources of the nation to its defense - including to civil protection.
Read more about Civil Protection: History, Importance, Threat Assessment, Implementation, Civil Defense Organizations
Other articles related to "civil protection, protection, civil":
... The Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports (DDPS) is Switzerland's ministry of defence ... Civil Protection sector Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), responsible for the coordination of the civil protection services of the cantons and ... the Spiez Laboratory, which is responsible for weapons of mass destruction research and protection ...
... Since 2001, the EU adopted Community Mechanism for Civil Protection, which started to play a significant role on the global scene ... Mechanism's main role is to facilitate co-operation in civil protection assistance interventions in the event of major emergencies which may require ... It is part of Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid Civil Protection of the European Commission and accessible 24 hours a day ...
... United States Civil Defense Association Civil defense in Israel Civil defense in Finland Civil Defence Ireland Civil Defence New Zealand Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers ...
... Draftees could also opt for service in the Civil Protection, which was by law equal to military service ... Draftees in the Civil Protection got no payment outside of compensations for clothing and transportation fares, doing an honorary service (ehrenamtlich) ...
Famous quotes containing the words protection and/or civil:
“We’re for statehood. We want statehood because statehood means the protection of our farms and our fences; and it means schools for our children; and it means progress for the future.”
—Willis Goldbeck (1900–1979)
“The principle of majority rule is the mildest form in which the force of numbers can be exercised. It is a pacific substitute for civil war in which the opposing armies are counted and the victory is awarded to the larger before any blood is shed. Except in the sacred tests of democracy and in the incantations of the orators, we hardly take the trouble to pretend that the rule of the majority is not at bottom a rule of force.”
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974)