Castilla y León creates the Medal of Merit for Civil Protection

The Regional Government of Castilla y León has created the Medal of Merit for Civil Protection of Castilla y León, an honorary distinction awarded annually in three categories—gold, silver, and bronze—intended for professionals, volunteers, and entities within the emergency system. Decree 26/2026, of October 22, is published in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León no. 207, of October 26, 2026, within section I.A of general provisions (official reference BOCYL-D-26102026-207-3). The new regulation replaces the Medal of Merit for Citizen Protection in effect since 2010.

The text was approved by the Governing Council at its meeting on October 22, 2026, at the proposal of the Ministry of the Presidency and with the material initiative of the Second Vice-Presidency, following the report of the Consultative Council of Castilla y León. The regulation is based on the regional competence for development and execution in matters of civil protection under Article 71.1.16º of the Statute of Autonomy and is coordinated with Law 4/2007, of March 28, on Citizen Protection of Castilla y León, and Law 17/2015, of July 9, on the national civil protection system.

The change in name seeks a title “consistent with the statutory competence, which does not produce ambiguity and is recognizable by the citizenry,” according to the decree itself, which also concentrates all aspects of the granting process into a single legal instrument to avoid regulatory dispersion. The repealing provision eliminates Decree 23/2010, of June 3, and Order IYJ/1098/2010, of July 27, which developed it. Entry into force is set for twenty days after publication, that is, November 15, 2026.

Three categories based on the risk assumed

The medal is exclusively honorary in nature, without economic content, and is personal, non-transferable, and permanent. The decree distinguishes three levels:

• Gold: for those who have risked their own life to save that of another person.
• Silver: for those who have saved a life without risking their own.
• Bronze: for other relevant actions deserving of recognition.

The purposes encompass professionals in essential citizen assistance services—including members of the armed forces—non-professional individuals and organizations acting with notable risk or exceptional solidarity, and professional or volunteer careers of an exceptional nature. The award can be individual or collective and must refer to actions carried out between January 1 and December 31 of the reference year, except in the case of career recognitions.

Careers: fifteen, twenty-five, and thirty-five years

The decree establishes objective time thresholds for the candidacies of civil protection groups and associations duly registered in accordance with regional volunteering regulations:

• Fifteen years of trajectory, bronze medal.
• Twenty-five years of trajectory, silver medal.
• Thirty-five years of trajectory, gold medal.

In the case of the individual trajectory of volunteers registered in the civil protection volunteering registry of Castilla y León who have held leadership positions in their group or association, only thirty years of active volunteering service will be recognized with the gold medal. For essential services and their professionals, continuous and relevant work in the interest of civil protection will be valued.

Deadline until January 31 and resolution within six months

Applications may be submitted by the legal representatives of organisms, entities, or associations related to civil protection and citizen assistance, as well as any public administration. Submission shall be electronic, through the “Generic application regarding the Civil Protection and Emergencies Agency” form available at the Tramita Castilla y León office, and must be accompanied by the data of the proposed person or entity, a detailed description of the facts, the certification of the agreement of the proposing body, and any other supporting documentation.

The maximum submission deadline ends on January 31 of the year following the reference year of the actions. The assessment corresponds to a commission chaired by the head of the competent management center for civil protection, with the head of the service as vice-president, two technicians, and two representatives from the heads of the prevention, firefighting, and rescue services of local administrations —the longest-serving and the most recent in office— as members, and one civil servant as secretary.

The resolution corresponds to the head of the highest single-person superior body competent in civil protection matters and is published in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León. The maximum period to resolve, publish, and notify is six months from the end of the application period, after which the request is understood to be granted in accordance with Article 24 of Law 39/2015.

Circular medal of thirty millimeters and solemn delivery

The distinction consists of a circular medal 30 millimeters in diameter and 2 millimeters thick, in gold, silver, or bronze metal depending on the category, featuring the emblem of Castilla y León in fine enamels on the obverse and the inscription “Al Mérito de la Protección Civil de Castilla y León” along with the name of the awardee on the reverse. It is worn on a red ribbon 20 millimeters wide and 24 long, with a clasp of 23.3 by 3.3 millimeters, and a total length of 54 millimeters. The accrediting diploma is described in Annex II.

The presentation will take place in a solemn public act, with the reading of the grant and the delivery of diplomas. Holders shall be entitled to wear the medal on their uniform, to occupy a preferential place at official events of the Junta de Castilla y León, provincial councils, and city councils, and to have the grant recorded in personnel files for professional promotion purposes. Privileges are revoked if the decorated person is definitively convicted of an intentional crime or sanctioned with separation from service for a very serious disciplinary infraction. An additional provision mandates the objective of increasing the visibility of women in emergencies during the submission of candidacies, delivery, and publicity.

The decree arrives as civil protection volunteering faces a generational handover and had lacked a unified recognition framework for more than fifteen years. With closed time thresholds and a regulated procedure, the regulation provides predictability for local groups and turns the distinction into an instrument of retention and prestige for those who sustain emergencies in the rural areas of Castilla y León.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla y León, no. 207, of October 26, 2026, section I.A (General Provisions), page 12 (official reference: BOCYL-D-26102026-207-3).