Swedish Rescue Services Agency
Encyclopedia
The Swedish Rescue Services Agency (SRSA) was the central supervisory government authority for the rescue
services in Sweden
until 2008, after which it merged into the newly formed Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency
on January 1, 2009. It promoted emergency management
practice that improved disaster prevention and response, and in the event of an incident/accident limited injury and damage. This was achieved among other ways by conveying information, by running training courses and holding exercises, and through supervision.
supervisory government authority for the rescue services. Its tasks included examining co-ordination between the various branches of the national rescue services, as well as contingency planning by the county administrative boards for the rescue services in the event of a release of radioactive substances. The agency also collated observations and lessons learned from serious emergencies that have occurred at home or abroad.
Its tasks included examining co-ordination between the various branches of the state rescue services, as well as the county administrative boards' planning for the rescue services in the event of a release of radioactive
substances. The agency gained experience from major incidents that have occurred in Sweden and worldwide.
The SRSA developed methods and equipment for use by the rescue services, and was responsible for the training of all personnel in the municipal
fire and rescue service brigades and in the chimney sweep
ing service. The agency also implemented rules for safety in relation to the transport
of dangerous goods
by road
and rail
, and co-ordinated the work of the supervisory authorities within this field.
, equipment from one of the agency’s five oil-combating depots may be used. The agency also had seven depots holding equipment and trained personnel for use when responding to chemical emergencies. Furthermore, the government had an agreement with six municipalities, which states that they are to assist the Swedish Maritime Administration
and the Swedish Coast Guard
with emergency operations at sea.
operations. The majority of personnel employed on such assignments were recruited from the municipal fire & rescue services. The SRSA was a prominent actor in mine action
and Explosive Ordnance Disposal for development.
. Their four colleges were located at Revingeby
, Rosersberg Palace
, Sandö
and Skövde
provided the training for all the personnel in the municipal fire & rescue services and in the chimney sweeping service.
The agency had its main office in Karlstad
and its offices for overseas operations in Kristinehamn
.
replaced the previous three bodies.
Rescue
Rescue refers to responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or prevention of injury during an incident or dangerous situation....
services in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
until 2008, after which it merged into the newly formed Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency
Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency is a Swedish government agency that combines now-defunct Swedish Rescue Services Agency, Swedish Emergency Management Agency, and National Board of Psychological Defence...
on January 1, 2009. It promoted emergency management
Emergency management
Emergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...
practice that improved disaster prevention and response, and in the event of an incident/accident limited injury and damage. This was achieved among other ways by conveying information, by running training courses and holding exercises, and through supervision.
Government function
The SRSA was the central SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
supervisory government authority for the rescue services. Its tasks included examining co-ordination between the various branches of the national rescue services, as well as contingency planning by the county administrative boards for the rescue services in the event of a release of radioactive substances. The agency also collated observations and lessons learned from serious emergencies that have occurred at home or abroad.
Its tasks included examining co-ordination between the various branches of the state rescue services, as well as the county administrative boards' planning for the rescue services in the event of a release of radioactive
Radioactive decay
Radioactive decay is the process by which an atomic nucleus of an unstable atom loses energy by emitting ionizing particles . The emission is spontaneous, in that the atom decays without any physical interaction with another particle from outside the atom...
substances. The agency gained experience from major incidents that have occurred in Sweden and worldwide.
The SRSA developed methods and equipment for use by the rescue services, and was responsible for the training of all personnel in the municipal
Municipalities of Sweden
The municipalities of Sweden are the local government entities of Sweden. The current 290 municipalities are organized into 21 counties...
fire and rescue service brigades and in the chimney sweep
Chimney sweep
A chimney sweep is a worker who clears ash and soot from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combustion. Chimneys may be straight or contain many changes of direction. During...
ing service. The agency also implemented rules for safety in relation to the transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
of dangerous goods
Dangerous goods
Dangerous goods are solids, liquids, or gases that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment. They are often subject to chemical regulations. "HazMat teams" are personnel specially trained to handle dangerous goods...
by road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
and rail
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
, and co-ordinated the work of the supervisory authorities within this field.
Domestic expertise
In the event of oil spillOil spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is mostly used to describe marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...
, equipment from one of the agency’s five oil-combating depots may be used. The agency also had seven depots holding equipment and trained personnel for use when responding to chemical emergencies. Furthermore, the government had an agreement with six municipalities, which states that they are to assist the Swedish Maritime Administration
Swedish Maritime Administration
The Swedish Maritime Administration is the Swedish government agency which provides services to the transport sector by keeping the sea lanes open and safe...
and the Swedish Coast Guard
Swedish Coast Guard
The Swedish Coast Guard is a Swedish civilian government agency tasked with:* maritime surveillance and other control and inspection tasks as well as environmental cleanup after oil spills at sea....
with emergency operations at sea.
Overseas operations
The SRSA maintained a state of emergency preparedness to assist other countries with rescue and humanitarian aidHumanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
operations. The majority of personnel employed on such assignments were recruited from the municipal fire & rescue services. The SRSA was a prominent actor in mine action
Mine action
Mine action is a domain within humanitarian aid and development studies concerned with activities which aim to reduce the social, economic and environmental impact of landmines and the explosive remnants of war...
and Explosive Ordnance Disposal for development.
Organisation
The central administration offices for the Swedish Rescue Services Agency were situated in KarlstadKarlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
. Their four colleges were located at Revingeby
Revingeby
Revingeby is a locality situated in Lund Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 538 inhabitants in 2005....
, Rosersberg Palace
Rosersberg Palace
Rosersberg Palace is one of the Royal Palaces of Sweden. Situated on the shores of Lake Mälaren, on the outskirts of Stockholm, it was built in the 1630s by the Oxenstierna family and became a royal palace in 1762, when the state gave it to Duke Karl , the younger brother of Gustav III of Sweden.-...
, Sandö
Sando
Sando is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 199 inhabitants....
and Skövde
Skövde
Skövde is a locality and the seat of Skövde Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 34 446 inhabitants .Skövde is situated some 150 km northeast of Gothenburg, between Sweden's two largest lakes, Vänern and Vättern. It sits on the eastern slope of a low mountain ridge Billingen ,...
provided the training for all the personnel in the municipal fire & rescue services and in the chimney sweeping service.
The agency had its main office in Karlstad
Karlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
and its offices for overseas operations in Kristinehamn
Kristinehamn
Kristinehamn is a locality and the seat of Kristinehamn Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 17,836 inhabitants in 2005.- Geography :Kristinehamn is situated by the shores of lake Vänern...
.
Restructuring
On the 18th of March 2008, the Swedish government made a decision to restructure its peace-time emergency management agencies. As part of this decision, the SRSA, the Swedish Emergency Management Agency, and the Swedish National Board of Psychological Defence were dissolved at the end of 2008. The Swedish Civil Contingencies AgencySwedish Civil Contingencies Agency
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency is a Swedish government agency that combines now-defunct Swedish Rescue Services Agency, Swedish Emergency Management Agency, and National Board of Psychological Defence...
replaced the previous three bodies.
See also
- Emergency serviceEmergency serviceEmergency services are organizations which ensure public safety and health by addressing different emergencies. Some agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies whilst others deal with ad hoc emergencies as part of their normal responsibilities...
- Swedish Armed ForcesSwedish Armed ForcesThe Swedish Armed Forces is a Swedish Government Agency responsible for the operation of the armed forces of the Realm. The primary task of the agency is to train, organize and to deploy military forces, domestically and abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to defend the Realm in the...
- Government agencies in SwedenGovernment agencies in SwedenThe Government agencies in Sweden are state controlled organizations who act independently to carry out the policies of the Swedish Government. The Government Ministries are relatively small and merely policy-making organizations, allowed to control agencies by policy decisions but not by direct...
- Swedish response to Hurricane KatrinaSwedish response to Hurricane KatrinaSweden received on September 1, 2005, in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a general plea for disaster aid from the United States. The Swedish Rescue Services Agency made a formal offer of help through the Swedish Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Swedish government granted the...
- Cutting extinguisherCutting extinguisherThe use of a cutting extinguisher is a fire extinguishing technique that combines abrasive waterjet cutting with water spray extinguishing, through a single handpiece or nozzle. The fire-fighter approaches the fire from outside the main fire area, then uses the cutting action to drill a small hole...
A novel fire-extinguishing technique, developed by Räddningsverket