The directions from the Government regarding a modern and coherent civil defence is that it should be based on the concepts and structures of the crisis preparedness system. This study concerns the prerequisites for the County Administrative Boards to initiate the resumed planning process for the civil defence. Through a historical review we present the main features of the development from the 1920s and onwards. Special focus is given the discussions that were influential before the civil defence gradually were dismantled in the 1990s. Based on interviews with representatives from the County Administrative Board's we have described the needs on the regional level in order to move forward in the planning process. Forms for interactions between different actors have been developed and refined for handling different kinds of crises. This constitute a good basis for the planning of the civil defence. At the same time, there is a demand on the Government to be more concrete regarding the vision and ambition for the civil defence.