Civil protection is one of the most important tasks of governments.
After the crises and disasters of the past few months, the government has come to the conclusion that more precautionary measures are necessary.
Berlin - As a consequence of the flood disaster and the corona pandemic, the federal government has decided to take the first steps in a new precautionary strategy.
Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) promised closer cooperation between the federal and state governments in disaster control after the Federal Cabinet meeting in Berlin.
At the same time, he promised that the population should be warned by SMS in the future in the event of floods and other dangers.
The President of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Aid (BBK), Armin Schuster, commissioned a feasibility study to warn by cell broadcasting in the spring, said Seehofer.
Schuster assumes that the result expected before the general election will be positive.
With cell broadcasting, a message is sent to cell phone users in a similar way to an SMS - to all recipients who are currently in the radio cell in question. Data protectionists consider this technology, which is already used in many other countries, to be relatively harmless. Seehofer emphasized that a mix of analog and digital methods is necessary to warn of acute dangers. Sirens alone are not a panacea, because "it is not enough just to warn acoustically, the population also has to know what to do".
The “National Health Protection Reserve” now decided by the cabinet is intended to be the first part of a comprehensive strategy for civil protection.
In the medium term, provisions for crises such as floods and major fires are to be improved.
There are also plans for a joint federal and state competence center at the BBK, in which the Bundeswehr and aid organizations will also be involved.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) sees Germany better prepared for future crises with the new reserve.
The corona pandemic had painfully demonstrated dependencies, he said.
"To buy in an emergency is always more expensive," said Spahn.
The reserve is intended to be used in pandemics and disasters such as now in western Germany and in the event that Germany has to stand by allies.
The “National Health Protection Reserve” is intended to cover the needs of the health sector and the federal government for up to six months and to “enable humanitarian aid by delivering protective equipment to the World Health Organization and third countries”.
This is to be achieved "by way of stockpiling goods as well as the provision of production capacities and new production".
In doing so, the federal government is drawing conclusions from the shortage that became apparent in the corona pandemic.
At first protective suits and masks were missing.
For a while, Covid-19 tests were in short supply.
“What we can still improve in general is simply the mutual exchange,” said Seehofer, referring to the planned BBK competence center. The resources of the BBK, which has so far mainly been responsible for the case of defense, should in future be used better in peacetime, said Seehofer. In addition to the implementation of a concept already presented in March for the reorientation of the Bonn authority, there may also have to be “a small change in the law” in the autumn.
It also makes sense to consider whether it should continue to run in such a way that each disaster control manager in his municipality decides for himself when the population is to be warned, or whether it would not make more sense for the state authorities to automatically take action at certain risk levels. Seehofer emphasized that it was about a "policy change towards more precautionary measures than support for the federal states" and not about depriving the federal states of competencies. Despite all the reforms that have already been planned, one must honestly say: "We cannot promise one hundred percent protection". dpa
