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© National Directorate General for Disaster Management of the Ministry of Interior

Overview

The National Directorate General for Disaster Management of the Ministry of Interior (MoI NDGDM) is a national law enforcement agency.

Its main tasks are:

  • the official prevention of disasters
  • execution of rescue in civil emergencies
  • the organisation and management of disaster management
  • eliminating the consequences
  • implementation of restoration reconstruction.

The Directorate General is responsible for fire protection and civil protection and can draw from a large asset pool to serve this purpose.

The Directorate General is responsible for civil emergency planning and defence management. It regulates and manages the fire service system, technical rescue, protection, and public information.

It maintains extensive international relations based on bilateral agreements, and oversees regional training bases and systems related to telecommunication, IT, and detection.

The Directorate General collaborates with law enforcement agencies, the defence forces, and local governments. In addition, it liaises with civil and charitable organisations, educational and scientific institutions, and the media.

Prevention

Overview

The Directorate General contributes to the national planning of disaster response, and co-chairs the National Fire Prevention Committee.

It also outlines the disaster management tasks to be performed at the time of the disaster and in the event of an emergency, prepares a central emergency plan to be approved by the Minister.

The Directorate exercises professional control over the preparation of regional (capital), settlement (district capital) and workplace emergency plans, and maintaining up-to-date records and emergency plans.

Also, it develops a professional framework for classifying real-life community-based disaster management and monitors the provision of a sufficient level of protection as defined by law through regional bodies.

Risk assessment

Emergency management planning for natural hazards and human-induced disasters analyses and interprets the risks. The planning allows for the appropriate assignment of personnel and resources. Resulting from the risk assessment procedure for a given settlement, each settlement is classified into disaster management departments.

The mayor of the settlement, with the help of the local disaster management body, carries out the risk assessment by 30 September each year. In the identification of risks, all known effects are considered in the given area, taking into account local characteristics.

After risk identification, the assessment should identify the consequences of certain threatening effects in the settlement and the likelihood of occurrence, taking into account the combined effects of each hazard.

In accordance with the relevant EU standards, they have carried out the probability and impact analysis of risk scenarios, the ranking of risks and the identification of the main risks of Hungary in the framework of the national disaster risk assessment.

The report on the national disaster risk assessment is reviewed on an annual basis by an inter-ministerial working group, led by the Directorate General, is a summary of which is submitted to the European Commission every 3 years and each case when any change occurs.

Risk management planning

NDGDM Defence Management Department within Civil Emergency Planning develops a professional framework for classifying settlements based on real risks in disaster management. It provides the professional support necessary for risk identification and assessment through the regional bodies.

In addition, it provides professional support for preparing emergency plans at all stages of planning to ensure adequate protection of settlements. The department monitors the preparation of municipal and territorial emergency plans and ensures the adequate level of protection specified in the legislation. Additionally, it prepares and keeps an up-to-date central emergency plan.

The department collects and processes information on emergency management, compiles reports, prepares proposals for decision-making, and informs organisations involved in disaster management. It carries out preventive and civil protection tasks and lays down professional requirements for the implementation of civil protection tasks.

Risk communication and awareness raising

The Disaster Management Act stipulates that each person has the right to be aware of the disaster threat in their environment and learn the prevailing rules of protection. Furthermore, all citizens have the right and obligation to contribute to disaster management activity.

Disaster management activities are based on a complex system of prevention, protection and restoration tasks. Prevention aims to avoid the occurrence of various hazards and risks, eliminate or reduce harmful effects and ensure emergency management conditions.

An essential part of the prevention process is the conscious preparation of the population, which affects all elements of the triple task system.

Although awareness-raising and preparation plays an increasingly important role in the task system of disaster management, the tasks carried out by different sectors and organisations contribute together, building on each other to the safety of citizens and the country.

The national disaster risk assessment determines the main risks and hazard effects of Hungary. The assessment is approved by the Government in a decision and its summary report is available on the disaster management website.

In Hungary, information and preparation of the population are carried out using active and passive methods. During passive public information, we provide information on the risks to the population, how they are reduced, on the expected behaviour of citizens if an emergency occurs. This is done through printed and electronically available publications and information.

In the frame of active public information, the provision of the above information is supplemented by media announcements, public forums, appearances at public events and the provision of open days. The order of active and passive population information is stipulated by law according to the level of hazard of the settlements. 

Awareness education begins with the preparation of our children, so disaster management gives priority to the preparation of youth and their education in self-care.

For this reason, a system of community service was established, in which high school students preparing for their high school graduation are engaged in activities in an organized manner for the benefit of the local community through theoretical and practical means in various organisations.

Students serving at disaster management organiaation can learn about the specialities of civil protection, rescue fire protection, industrial safety, the dangers of their environment, as well as learn what to do for others or for themselves in case of trouble.

For primary and secondary school students we regularly hold disaster management youth competitions. We intend to help them – during the preparation period for the competition - to learn about the risks of Hungary, the system of tasks of disaster management and to learn different forms of conduct in emergencies.

Preparedness

Training and exercises

The Director General, acting under his authority in disaster management, will determine the topics for the training and further training of professional staff and the activities of scientific researchers and approve the content of the training.

The Inspectorate General for Fire and Civil Protection is responsible for planning and organising of the training of the county fire and civil defence chief inspectors and the affected personnel.

They prepare:

  • guidelines for the annual preparation plan of the personnel involved in firefighting and technical rescue, in consultation with the departments of the NDGDM
  • planning and organising rescue and disaster management practices in consultation with the relevant area of the Inspectorate General for Civil Protection, considering current issues

It contributes to and helps in the development, adaptation and utilisation of modern fire and rescue tactical principles.

Early warning systems

The National Directorate General for Disaster Management Dangerous Establishments Department within the nuclear emergency response area performs the tasks of the National Centre for Nuclear Emergency Early Warning and International Radiological Monitoring Data Exchange System.

It also plans, organises and coordinates the operation of the national RODOS Centre, and manages data exchange at a national and international level. In addition, it analyses and evaluates the available data, and international radiological measurement data, and results.

Alert and warning of the national nuclear emergency response system are performed by the central body of the professional disaster management organisation.

The department provides periodical data and information to the public on normal and extraordinary information on the national and international background situation and arranges for an emergency preparedness service for industrial purposes. It provides data and information for national nuclear safety and radiation protection assessment and decision-making.

The department contributes to the work of the Committees on Nuclear Safety and Nuclear Emergency Management and participates in national and international nuclear emergency exercises, training, and conferences.

They are also responsible for nuclear accident prevention and manages the tasks of the regional authorities of disaster management in the authorisation of radiological activities.

Emergency Response

The National Directorate General for Disaster Management coordinates the activities of other authorities to prevent emergencies. The National Directorate participates in civil emergency management, planning, defence management, mobilisation of national economy, and state reserve management.

It provides information related to events by operating a duty and operation control system, and activates the forces and assets needed for liquidation. The National Directorate carries out firefighting, technical rescue, protection, information, and alerting local authorities.

National coordination of execution of tasks for radiation protection of the public is also performed by the central body of the professional disaster management organisation.

Cross-border, European and international cooperation

The National Directorate-General for Disaster Management of the Ministry of Interior has an extensive, international system of professional relations that can serve the internal and external interests of disaster management.

An important element of international disaster management is the provision of information to foreign partners about the National Directorate’s results, the presentation of the organisation's tasks, its development, institutional development, and assistance to the development of disaster management systems in the different phases of the EU association.

The main areas of international relations of the NDGDM are bilateral relations, regional relations, European Union system, UN, NATO, and international disaster management.

Facts & figures

General contact point:

Ministry of the Interior
National Directorate General for Disaster Management (MoI NDGDM)
1149 Budapest, Mogyoródi str. 43.
Email

Contact details to be used in case of emergencies:

Central Duty Service of MoI NDGDM
Tel: +36 1 469 4349 | +36 1 469 4293
huassistanceatkatved [dot] gov [dot] hu (Email)

Contact point for international cooperation projects:

Department for International Relations, MoI NDGDM
Tel: +36 1 469 4152
hucivproatkatved [dot] gov [dot] hu (Email)

More information

Related pages

https://www.katasztrofavedelem.hu/

Last updated: 24/06/2022