A state of emergency is a legal mechanism used by government to put through policies that are not normally permitted in order to protect citizens from an exceptional danger such as a natural disaster, civil unrest, armed conflict or medical pandemic or epidemic. The state of emergency can waive some legal procedures and requirements such as the requirement for competitive bidding on construction projects to repair infrastructure or a ban on strikes that would otherwise slow the recovery process. The governor can also quickly call in contractors and other help without going through the normal government approval process.
In most countries, the declaration of a state of emergency gives the government broad powers to control public safety, security and order and limit the effects of a crisis. The exact powers depend on the nature of the emergency and are usually specified in a statute. States of emergency can be declared before, during or after a disaster, although governments are more likely to declare emergencies in the aftermath of a disaster than before it occurs.
Many states have statutes that define what constitutes a state of emergency, including different levels of emergencies: alarma, excepcion (exceptional circumstance) and sitio (siege). In Spain there are three degrees of state of emergency: alarma, excepcion and sitio. When a state of emergency is declared, private and public non-crucial activities are suspended, except those essential to public safety. In addition, many rights are suspended, although basic human rights like the right to life, freedom of speech, religion and the prohibition on torture are usually preserved.
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