As the government announced at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, resources for rescue and civil protection organizations will be increased. By the end of 2028, a total of 22 million euros extra per year will be distributed, according to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) and Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens).
The events of the past few weeks have shown how important blue light organizations are, Karner said, speaking of a “clear signal, especially to the volunteers”. In this way, the rescue organizations should be better equipped to face the challenges of the storms and catastrophes that are becoming more common due to climate change, explained Social Affairs Minister Rauch.
18 million for emergency vehicles and equipment
In concrete terms, according to the legislative initiative, the seven legally recognized rescue organizations in the federal states will receive an additional 18 million euros annually for investments in emergency vehicles, resources and equipment. Each year, two million euros more goes to the national umbrella organisations. Another two million will be made available to strengthen civil protection and personal services. Karner specifically mentioned the Civil Protection Association and its measures for preventing power outages and educating the public about disaster management.
“In total, that is an additional 110 million euros by 2028 for our rescue and civil protection organizations,” explains Karner. After five years, the law supporting rescue operations and civil protection must be evaluated.
Processing of subsidies via the federal states
Most of the funding should be processed by the states in which the organizations operate. At the same time, a usage guideline should ensure that the additional equipment of the rescue organizations is uniform and that the equipment purchased in the Länder is largely compatible with each other in the event of a crisis or disaster.
First Council of Ministers after the summer holidays
Wednesday’s Council of Ministers was the first regular government meeting after the summer recess. Since July 5, the government has met only once in the traditional Summer Council of Ministers at the end of July.
Source: Krone
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