Society's responsibility
The responsibility for crisis management lies primarily with those most affected - the affected municipality and the sectors of society involved.
More people get involved as the event grows
As the crisis develops, other actors become increasingly involved. For example, if only one municipality is affected, the affected municipality may not need help from the county administrative board. However, the more municipalities that experience problems, the greater the role of the county administrative board. If the crisis grows further, resources may be needed from authorities at national level.
It works the same way in other parts of society. The crisis is first dealt with in its immediate vicinity, while resources are available at regional and national level if events become too extensive to be dealt with at local level.
Sectors of preparedness
Sweden has 12 preparedness sectors, comprising 60 authorities of particular importance to society's crisis preparedness and total defence. The county administrative boards of Norrbotten, Örebro, Stockholm, Östergötland, Västra Götaland and Skåne counties will each be responsible for their own area.
No one organisation has all the responsibility
The fact that there is no single organisation responsible for the whole country in all crises can make the crisis management system seem confusing. But it becomes easier if you focus on the actual event that triggers the crisis. It's like throwing a stone into a mirrored lake and watching the ripples spread.
The information comes from the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR), the county administrative boards and the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF).
