Ministry of Emergency Situations (Russia)

Ministry for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters

Министерство по делам гражданской обороны, чрезвычайным ситуациям и ликвидации последствий стихийных бедствий Ministerstvo po delam grazhdanskoy oborony, chrezvychainym situatsiyam i likvidatsii posledstviy stihiynyh bedstviy
Ministry Emblem
Ministry Flag
Agency overview
Formed	December 27, 1990 (1990-12-27)
Preceding agency	Russian Rescue Corps
Jurisdiction	President of Russia
Headquarters	Teatralny proyezd 3, Moscow
Minister responsible	Vladimir Puchkov, Minister for the Affairs of Civil Defence, Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief
Parent agency	Government of Russia
Child agencies	Russian State Fire Service GIMS (Main Inspection for Small Vessels)
Website	en.mchs.ru

The Ministry of the Russian Federation for Affairs for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (Russian: Министерство России по делам гражданской обороны, чрезвычайным ситуациям и ликвидации последствий стихийных бедствий), also known as The Ministry of Emergency Situations (Russian: Министерство по чрезвычайным ситуациям – МЧС России), or internationally as EMERCOM (derived from "Emergency Control Ministry"), was established on January 10, 1994 by President Boris Yeltsin. There is a consideration that the real date of birth of the agency was on December 27, 1990, when the Russian Rescue Corps was established and assigned the mission of rapid response in the case of emergencies.

Current Head of Ministry is Vladimir Puchkov, who was appointed in May 17, 2012, replacing Sergey Shoygu, who was the first Emergencies Minister and has served as a minister for sixteen years.

History

The aftermath of the events of the 1988 Armenian earthquake and the Chernobyl disaster, on July 17, 1990 a directive decision of the Presidium of The High Council of Russian Socialist Soviet Republic led to the formation of the Russian Rescue Corps (Российский корпус спасателей), which eventually was formed by Soviet Government on December 27, 1990.

On April 17, 1991 the Presidium of The High Council of Russia appointed Sergei Shoigu as Chairman of the State Committee for Extraordinary Situations (Государственный Комитет по чрезвычайным ситуациям, ГКЧС).

On November 19, 1991 The State committee was emerged to the Headquarters for Civil Defense to create the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence Matters, Extraordinary Situations and the Liquidation of Natural Disasters (Государственный комитет по делам гражданской обороны, чрезвычайным ситуациям и ликвидации последствий стихийных бедствий при Президенте РСФСР) and was subordinated to Russian President.

On January 10, 1994 The State committee became part of the Government of Russia and become a Federal minisry named The Ministry for the Affairs of Civil Defence, Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief, with Sergei Shoigu as a minister.

On January 1, 2002, The Russian State Fire Service, the National Fire service, became part of the ministry with 278,000 firefighters.

On May 12, 2012, Vladimir Puchkov appointed as new minister, instead of Shoigu who was appointed as Defense Minister.

Duties

According to an EMERCOM publication, the Ministry is an agency of Federal Executive Power with the following tasks:

• developing proposals and initiatives in the sphere of State policy on issues within the Ministry's competence;
• managing the Civil Defence and Search and Rescue Service in the Russian Federation;
• providing for the functioning and further development of the Russian System of Disaster Management (RSDM);
• directing activities aimed at eliminating the consequences of large-scale disasters, catastrophes and other emergencies;
• conducting special submarine activities;
• supervising the use of finance resources allocated to the Government for disaster management and response;
• organizing the training of the population, and governing agencies and the RSDM forces for disaster management and response;
• and organizing international cooperation in the fields of the Ministry's competency.

Ministers

Sergey Shoigu

Sergey Shoygu, was Minister from 1991 to 2012

The First Minister in charge of EMERCOM was Sergei Shoigu. He was appointed by President Yeltsin in November 1991 as Chairman of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence Matters, Extraordinary Situations and the Liquidation of Natural Disasters. Shoigu was given the rank of Major General in October 1994, and his committee became a ministry in January 1994. President Yeltsin showed his faith in the importance of EMERCOM by designating Minister Shoigu a member of the Russian Security Council by Presidential Decree on February 1, 1994. In May 2012 he was appointed as Governor of Moscow Oblast and he resigned from his office.

Vladimir Puchkov

Vladimir Puchkov, the Minister since May 2012

Vladimir Puchkov was the Deputy Minister of Emergencies. In May 2012 he was appointed as Minister.

Departments

• Department for the Protection of the Population and Territories
• Department for Disaster Prevention
• Department of Forces
• Department for International Cooperation
• Department for the Elimination of Consequences of Radiological and other Disasters
• Department for Science and Technology
• Management Department

Commissions and Boards

Ministerial emblem

• Interagency Commission of the Russian Federation for Fighting Forest Fires
• Interagency Commission of the Russian Federation for Floods
• Interagency Maritime Coordinating Commission for Emergencies on the Seas and Water Basins
• Interagency Commission of the Russian Federation for the Certification of Rescuers

Working through the office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry can ask for private, Ministry of Defence or Internal Troops of the MVD assistance. That is, the Ministry has international coordination power and the ability to tap local resources if required.

The Department of International Cooperation, to present an example of the activities of one of these departments and commissions, has already signed agreements on cooperation during disaster response and prevention with Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Poland, Belarus, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. Mutual assistance pacts are ready for signing with Mongolia, Latvia, Finland, Armenia, Moldova, Serbia and Estonia. An agreement also exists with the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and agreements are sought with the OSCE and NATO.

Internal organizations

• Regional Centres – EMERCOM centres are located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Chita and Khabarovsk.
• Civil Defence and Emergency Headquarters – Many regions, provinces, autonomous administrative units, districts and towns possess these headquarters.
• Command and Control Center – These centers are located in Moscow, and in each region and oblast.
• Training and Education Facilities – These include a Civil Protection Academy, Training and Methodology centres, an All-Russia Scientific Research Institute, an All-Russian Monitoring and Laboratory Control Centre, and a Centre for Scientific Analysis of Civil Defence Issues.

Beriev Be-200 of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations

Kamov Ka-226 of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations

To perform rapid response operations the following forces and equipment are available:

• Russian State Fire Service –
• Central Air-Mobile Rescue Team – These teams are equipped with aviation facilities that include helicopters and cargo aircraft (Ilyushin Il-76, Antonov An-72, An-148-100EM, Ka-32A11VS). The teams have taken part in United Nations' humanitarian delivery operations.
• Civil Defense Troops – These troops consist of military troop divisions and regiments stationed in various regions of the country aimed at civil defense measures during natural and man-made disasters.
• EMERCOM Civil Defense Academy, Moscow – trains all officers and non-commissioned personnel of the Ministry in the duties of civil defense.
• Search and Rescue Service – This service maintains 30 units in various republics, regions and provinces.

Equipment

Aviation

Name	Type	Origin	Photo
Ka-226	Light utility helicopter	Russia
Ka-32A	Transport helicopter	Russia
Mi-26	Heavy lift cargo helicopter	Soviet Union
Mi-8	Transport helicopter	Soviet Union
Il-76TD	Transport airplane	Soviet Union
An-3	Multipurpose aircraft	Russia
An-74P	Transport airplane	Soviet Union
Be-200	Multirole amphibian	Russia
An-148	Passenger aircraft	Ukraine
Il-62	Passenger aircraft	Soviet Union
Yak-42D	Passenger aircraft	Soviet Union

Cars

Name	Type	Origin	Photo
GAZelle GAZ-2705		Russia
PPU48-03 (Kamaz-43118 chassis)	Mobile control point	Russia
ASM-41-022 (base UAZ-3909)	Rescue of general purpose	Russia
ASM-48-031 (Kamaz-43118 chassis)	Rescue vehicle	Russia
Car for transportation department paramilitary mountain rescue units (Kamaz-4308 based)		Russia
Petrovich-204-60	All-terrain vehicle	Russia
ZiL-49061	Amphibious vehicle	Soviet Union

Boats

Name	Type	Origin	Photo
Mars-700	Hovercraft	Russia
Mars-2000	Hovercraft	Russia
Khivus-6	Hovercraft	Russia
Mongoose (project 12150M)	Airboat	Russia

Gallery

• 

  EMERCOM GAZ Valdai three door extended cab

• 

  Emergency service vehicle on the basis of all-wheel drive minivan terrain UAZ-2206

• 

  Emergency service vehicle on the basis minivan GAZelle

• 

  SUV VAZ-2121 Niva

See also

• Ramenskoye Airport, airbase, used by EMERCOM
• Awards of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Russia

References

• EMERCOM of Russia, publication of the Ministry of Emergency Situations
• "EMERCOM: RUSSIA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM" (1995), Mr. Timothy L. Thomas, Foreign Military Studies Office, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Low Intensity Conflict and Law Enforcement, Vol 4, Autumn 1995, No 2

External links

• Official website (English)
• (Russian)
• Former website in English (Archive)