Introduction

From January 1, 2000 a new era also started for the Disaster Management Training Centre with the foundation ceremony of integrated national disaster management organization. It structurally functions within the National Directorate General for Disaster Management of Ministry of Home Affairs. 

Beside unifying the training systems of the two predecessor organizations, the fire brigade and the civil protection, the qualification requirements and their levels had to be placed on a new legal basis. 

The ratification of the new Disaster Management Act on 1 January 2012 was determinative for all actors in the fire brigade, civil protection and industrial safety, because the changes formulated in it promoted the effectiveness of protection, increased safety and unified management in emergencies. As a result of all this the safety of life and property of Hungarian citizens has increased. 

Naturally, the significant changes mentioned above also affected the education and training system, so we had to follow the requirements of the changed legal environment in the operation and educational thematic of our school. Aligned with the government's program to improve public safety, in the system of unified home affairs training, the system of vocational training in fire protection, civil protection and industrial safety has also been renewed.We established the unified modular law enforcement training structure, based on which the new system of specialist training started in September 2012.     

In 2015, the Disaster Management was given the task to provide chimney-sweeping services covering a significant area of the country. The size of the service area to be covered is increasing year by year. To complete the task, it was necessary to create a professional training base. Due to that, from 2016, a new professional group started to operate ensuring the continuous training of professionals in chimney-sweeping industry. 

Overall, the training system has expanded and strengthened resulting in the launch of an independent Disaster Management Institute within the National University of Public Service. Thus, beside our educational institution, which is an establishment providing vocational education, now it is possible to obtain a college or university degree in the field of fire protection, civil protection and industrial safety. 

The constant changes in professional challenges give more and more tasks to our institution.    In 2019 the transformation of the adult education system began in Hungary. As part of this, we started the necessary legislative process for the transformation in our institution, which was completed by 2020, considering the deadlines specified in the legislation.Taking into account the accumulated experiences of the previous nine years, we have developed a more transparent training system. Some of its elements were applied from February 2021.

The expectation toward our institution has become more emphasized with the new legal regulations: to train disaster management professionals at the highest possible level. Hungary needs highly qualified and exercised specialists able to prevent fire and damage, raise industry safety and manage protection against disasters in the country.

All in all, the main responsibility of Disaster Management Training Centre hasn't changed: to provide training for the professionals of Disaster Management and Civil Protection Service who can respond to various challenges arising from the diversity and danger of the interventions, as well as to train and prepare firefighters who can professionally use and handle the modern, high-value technical equipment.

Col. Róbert Müller 
director