The reform plan for the Civil Protection was communicated by Minister of Security and Home Affairs Jan Jambon on 4 April 2017. This reform confirms the position and added value of the interventions of the Civil Protection within Civil Security. It guarantees operational and investment budgets for the future and aims to strengthen the resources in order to be able to face new risks such as terrorism and climate change.

As per annual custom, all Belgiantrained experts within the framework of UCPM (European Civil Protection Mechanism) gathered in Brussels on 28 October 2022 for a seminar. After two previous editions took place online because of COVID-19, it was an excellent time to meet live again.

On the 3rd of December the Belgian Directorate-General for Civil Protection organized its 5th UCPM Experts’ Day. This yearly seminar brings together all Belgian Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) trained experts, providing them with updates on the evolutions within the UCPM and the Belgian activities and projects in the domain of international emergency assistance. This year it had to be online, but it usually takes place for a whole day in the centre of Brussels, enabling formal and informal exchanges.

On Tuesday 16 March 2021, the Directorate-General Civil Security received a "Commemorative Award" in recognition of Belgium's exceptional commitment to the organisation of the European exercises (EUModex) taking place every year in the framework of the European Civil Protection Mechanism (ECPM).

Today marks the launch of four videos intended to promote the use of the “112 BE” app by people who may not yet know about it. This app has existed for three years and, ever since, it has already been downloaded over 930,000 times.

Depuis peu, grâce au soutien financier de la Commission européenne, la Protection civile s’est dotée d’une nouvelle pompe à très haut débit (51.000 litres/minute). Elle vient s’ajouter au matériel existant du cluster HTD (Heavy Technical Deployment). La Protection civile dispose désormais de deux pompes de ce type, ce qui augmente considérablement ses capacités de pompage lors d’inondations de grande ampleur.

On 17th June 2020, Euro NCAP, the European organization in charge of crash tests on new vehicles, launched the "Rescue Sheets" database. It contains the sheets providing very useful information about cars on the road (where the battery is located, where the cables are routed, which potential dangers the cars represent, ...). Rescuers throughout the whole world will be able to consult this database. And, in the event of a road accident, they can view immediately on a tablet, or even a smartphone, the sheet pertaining to the vehicle or vehicles involved in this accident. Thanks to this database, it will become possible for the emergency services to work more effectively and faster in case of road accident.

Up to now, volunteers in the Belgian emergency rescue zones were not covered against occupational diseases. Due to the risks caused by the crisis brought about by the new coronavirus and to the recognition – by Fedris (Belgian Federal Agency for Occupational Risks) – of COVID-19 as an occupational disease for (career) paramedics, the Minister of Home Affairs and Security Pieter De Crem reached an agreement so that volunteers in the emergency rescue zones can be covered as well. During the Council of Ministers on the 25th April 2020, the Belgian Federal Government decided to consider them in the same way as their career colleagues are being regarded. This regulation applies to volunteer firefighters and paramedics in rescue zones.

The "Reform" page is to be removed and be replaced with two new pages called "How the Zones Operate" and "About the Staff". There you will find all the updated information regarding the 34 emergency rescue zones' organization and the administrative and pecuniary status of these zones' operational staff. As the Fire Prevention Service has recently joined the Directorate-General Civil Security, a new webpage is specifically dedicated to "Fire Prevention".