The ''Civil Protection Act Against Accidents'' entered into force in 2004 in Sweden, and stipulates management by objectives, risk analysis work, political prioritizations, and cross-sectoral work on the municipal level, entailing a new challenge for the municipalities and the rescue service. The studies presented in this article focuses on studying the discussions of politicians and staff groups in order to understand how a new law is perceived and acquires significance over time. The first study was carried out during 2003, and the second between 2009 and 2010. The result shows that attitudes regarding the ambitions of the upcoming law could be formulated in discourses about the municipality's safety and protection work. Two main discourses emerged with certain common standpoints, Discourse I and Discourse II. Discourse I was mainly rooted in current reality and critical as regards the coming Act, while Discourse II was more rooted in the ambitions of the upcoming Act.

The development from 2003 to 2010 shows a gradual shift towards a complex and conflict-laden Discourse II and a strengthening of Discourse I. Discourse II, which emanated from the intermediate level, has spread all the way up to the very highest political level, but only partly down to the lowest hierarchical level consisting of foremen and firemen. The results also indicate that a great deal of mutual communication is necessary in order to realise the ideas of the new legislation in practise.