The institution of the Department of Civil Protection

Law n. 996 of 1970 provided that the President of the Council of Ministers could appoint a Commissioner in case of serious emergency. Law n. 938 of 1982 formalized the Minister for Civil Protection Coordination figure. The purpose of this law was to provide for a sort of "permanent commissioner" responsible for intervening in an emergency. This prevented the need to identify each time a different subject with the task of building the "organizational machine."

The Minister for Civil Protection Coordination relied on the Department of Civil Protection, established in 1982, within the Presidency of the Council of Ministers by Service Order of 29 April. Instead of setting up a special ministry with a bureaucratic structure of equal rank compared to other ministries, it was decided to create a streamlined, supra-ministerial body to coordinate all the forces available to the country.

The Department of Civil Protection collects information and data regarding emergency forecasting and prevention, prepares the implementation of national and territorial civil protection plans, organizes the coordination and direction of rescue services, promotes volunteer initiatives, and coordinates emergency planning for civil protection. Civil protection now operates along four main lines: forecasting, prevention, rescue, and return to normal conditions.

Photo: The first Operational Committee, chaired by Elveno Pastorelli, meets on May 7, 1985, at the headquarters of the Civil Protection Department in Via Ulpiano in Rome