The system of Civil Protection Online is integrated into the official server network of the federal state of Styria. With several interlinked electronic platforms it addresses different target groups. - Internet: Public information for citizens and media: The public domain provides citizens and media with detailed information on dangers and disaster situations as well as recommendations on how to cope with specific emergency scenarios. With the advent of a crisis all relevant data (hotlines, reviews of the situation, measures to be taken) will be made available to the public and the media on a separate emergency-homepage. - Intranet and Extranet: Classified information for authorities and relief forces: Intranet as well as Extranet serve as a highly available and protected communication platform to all authorities and relief forces involved. With its 24x7-online-availability this system is Austria's unique and innovative implementation of the tasks assigned to the department for civil protection. It allows the computer based coordination of all civil protection forces in real-time (online operation-protocol for the department of civil protection of the federal state of Styria, the 17 district administrations and the 542 local communities and the relief forces). - Interlinking of the civil protection plans The electronic civil protection plans, that are available via Civil Protection Online, are based on an extensive database system containing all data relevant to civil protection (like appliances, dangerous substances, contact persons). The decentralized system is constantly being maintained by the civil protection officials of all district administrations and communities. Included are databases on hazardous institutions, areas with a history of disaster (neuralgic spots), an index of machinery, goods and equipment in general for any case of disaster. All data is highly sensitive and only made available to institutions involved in civil protection. All data is equipped with GIS-roadmap-support and includes further details on specific dangers and soil conditions. - Accessibility: situation-related and varying ways to access data: Depending on the condition at hand, access to all data can be obtained in different ways: in addition to the online version, information can also be retrieved via mobile phone and PDA. In case of a total breakdown of all communication devices, an offline-version on CD-Rom as well as a printout remain feasible.

Main results, benefits and impacts

Accidents and natural disasters can endanger people unexpectedly. In these situations every minute counts - with the mission and all communication and information involved. The advantage resulting from the chance to avoid or alleviate psychological distress and physical harm of citizens affected by a disaster can hardly be assessed. - Times of intervention: In Styria the efforts of all units involved in civil protection aim at providing fast and effective help. The statistics about the times of intervention show the successful results: Federal state of Styria: 7,5-12 minutes, EU: 45-60 minutes, Greece: 210 minutes. - Austerity and efficiency: Due to special features of the system and due to the equipment needed in this area a cost-benefit-relation has only been possible within limits. The primary objective has not been to merely reduce costs but to make use of the existing possibilities to create a "plus in security". - Decentralization: Decentralizing the maintenance of the system and integrating persons responsible for civil protection in communities and districts has effectively altered the responsibility assignments. At the same time utilization of the system has been decentralized. Benefit and success has therefore become transparent on the community level. - Thematic crosslinks: Relevant dangers and resources are listed as direct as well as multi-stage related interdependencies. If in any disaster in a geo-region no direct resources are available, the system will list directly related and comparable resources as well as services that can be provided by local institutions. At dangers like large-scale fires or forest fires the system not only lists directly endangered objects but also issues a warning for technical facilities close-by. - Added value: The administration of the federal state of Styria provides federal, district and community authorities with a detailed information system on every relief mission that can be used by relevant relief organizations as the fire department or the Red Cross while still paying regard to privacy protection. - Integration into knowledge management: With the latest system update of Civil Protection Online in March 2005 many long-planned features and technical requirements for future improvements have been made available. - Multi-Platform-Accessibility: Usage is provided from a multi-platform-approach for different types of media. - Increasing information and services: With Civil Protection Online administrational services become more specific and efficient, information is transmitted to everyone affected faster and more transparently. This is exemplified by Infotel which has been used during the Tsunami in December 2004 or the avalanche in the federal state of upper Styria in February 2005. Based on these experiences it has been upgraded with an integral online-system to provide information on missing persons. - Solutions applied to users with special requirements.

Return on investment

Return on investment: Not applicable / Not available

Lessons learnt

Learning points: - Stipulate and stimulate: The use and success of the linked civil protection plans or the checklists have been a recurrent assignment for further developments. - External knowledge: For the consolidation and institutionalisation of the requirements regular training courses are held for the employees of the authorities and organizations. - The think tank and cooperations: For some parts of the project which is presented here a think tank of authority officials, experts and economy representatives has been installed. - Resolving human blockages: Many logjams that showed up during the process of developing the project have been cleared when the people actually involved met personally. - Resolving organizational and technical problems: The introduction of Civil Protection Online can be called a milestone. The introduced electronic system resolved a range of problems that had until then only been solved in an unsatisfactory or inadequate way. - Acting jointly: While there used to be competition or rivalry between the regional authorities, the network character of the project has triggered a change in the attitude of many people involved. - Developing new management skills: The importance of continuous internal and external communication and the need for the development of new management skills of the project management became evident in the early development stages. - Constant integration: The presentation of prototypes and the integration of all levels of the administrative corpus, authorities and relief organizations made a quick project implementation possible. - Civil protection and e-government: Such systems offer a chance for the modernisation of administration and for groundbreaking solutions for public authorities by both using electronic media and profiting from synergies. - Profit from Civil Protection Online: All institutions assigned to the issue of civil protection can learn and profit from this project. - Support to other administrations: Demonstrations of the Civil Protection Online system on site are possible. They include a presentation and workshops. - Professionalism, speed and coordination: This is achieved by the cooperation of people, voluntary organizations and the crisis management unit of the government. - General principles: The best result possible can be achieved by means of a professional organization and a well structured project through an efficient use of the resources at hand. The following principles were essential: -- 24x7, 365 days a year; -- Accessible from anywhere to everywhere; -- By usual means and media; -- Backup-no blind reliance on ONE system; -- Constant development; -- Concentration of all systems relevant to civil protection and public information; -- Joint utilization of all systems and ways of communication; -- Definition of mutual interfaces; -- Providing access with regard to confidentiality and privacy protection.