The German government wants to invest 10 billion euros ($12 billion) in civil protection and disaster management by 2029, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told Bild newspaper in an interview, according to Reuters.
“We are upgrading our civil protection,” said Dobrindt, a member of the governing conservatives’ Bavarian sister party.
The plans come against the backdrop of growing geopolitical tensions, Reuters comments, as well as the threats of extremism and so-called hybrid attacks, that might include attacks on the electricity grid and disinformation campaigns for example.
The Civil Protection Pact foresees sirens to alert the public, digital warning systems for mobile phones, new shelters, and around 1,500 vehicles for fire protection, ambulance services, mobile command centers and heavy equipment, the report said.
The interior ministry did not respond to a request for confirmation and more information from Reuters.
According to the Bild report, the initiative also foresees disaster drills by the military, rescue services, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief and aid organizations.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the German government moved to upgrade its public shelter system. Germany has 579 shelters for around 480,000 people, many of which have not been in use since the Cold War.
In Germany, the responsibility for civil protection does not lie with a single authority; instead, the federal, state and local governments are jointly responsible for the security of people in our country. In the framework of an integrated emergency response system, the different government levels cooperate with the fire brigades, the aid organizations and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW).
This year, at the celebration of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) 75th anniversary, Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt praised the long-standing commitment of THW helpers, the majority of whom are volunteers.
Dobrindt said THW’s work contributed to the stability of the country and of democracy. He also praised the THW’s excellent work in delivering aid to Ukraine since the outbreak of Russia’s war of aggression.
Minister Dobrindt also announced his intention to help shape a political framework in which to further develop the THW over the current parliamentary term. He said that new challenges in civil protection could only be met with the most cutting-edge technology and adequate funding, as civil protection must be thought of in the same vein as military defense.
