Civil protection; information on the tasks of the civil protection authorities

A disaster within the meaning of the Bavarian Civil Protection Act (BayKSG) is an event in which the life or health of a large number of people or the natural basis of life (environment) or significant material assets are endangered or damaged to an unusual extent and the danger can only be averted or the disruption can only be prevented and eliminated if the authorities, departments, organizations and forces involved in civil protection work together under the direction of the civil protection authority.

In Bavaria, the disaster control authorities are the district administrative authorities - i.e. the district administration offices and the independent municipalities - the governments and the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, for Sport and Integration. The disaster control authorities have the task of averting disasters and taking the necessary preparatory measures.

Civil protection is primarily based on the emergency services of the fire departments, voluntary aid organizations and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW). In addition, all authorities and departments of the Free State of Bavaria, the municipalities, districts and counties, other corporations, institutions and foundations under public law subject to the supervision of the Free State of Bavaria, as well as voluntary welfare organizations are obliged to provide disaster relief.

Operational management and leadership in disaster control

The disaster control authority (usually the district office, independent municipality) determines the existence and also the end of a disaster (Art. 4 BayKSG). Once the disaster has been declared, it directs the operation and ensures that all measures are coordinated (Art. 5 BayKSG). To this end, it has a comprehensive right to issue instructions to all deployed forces and participating authorities of the same or a lower level (Art. 5 BayKSG). Article 2 (3) BayKSG gives the governments and the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, for Sport and Integration the right to intervene, i.e. they can take over the operational command themselves.

The disaster control authority should appoint a local incident commander to carry out its duties at the scene of the incident. Within the framework of the mandate and the instructions of the disaster control authority, this person manages all operational measures on site and can issue instructions to all deployed forces (Art. 6 BayKSG).

Tasks of the civil protection authorities

Preparatory measures

• Planning
  • Alarm planning in fire and disaster control
  • General disaster control planning
  • Special disaster protection plans for facilities and installations with particular hazard potential
• Regulations
  • Regulation of incident command and management in the event of disasters and major incidents
  • Training and further education
• Exercises

Emergency management in the event of a disaster

• Overall operations management
• Coordination of all operational measures, emergency services and authorities involved
• Request for external resources/employees

Please use the secure contact form to contact the responsible office.

You will find the following additional documents under Forms:

• Application for reimbursement of CatS.
• Employer information sheet Application for reimbursement of fire department and KatS.

• Application for reimbursement of KatS services
• Employer information sheet Application for reimbursement of fire department service and KatS

• Bavarian Civil Protection Act (BayKSG)

• Fire and disaster protection; information on alarm planning
• Civil protection; conducting exercises
• Civil protection plans; preparation and updating