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Armenia marks Rescuer's Day on September 4. The day was designated at the Armenian cabinet meeting on September 4, 2008.

The 1988 devastating Spitak earthquake revealed many issues related to civil protection (CP) system in Armenia and became the main impetus of radical reorganization of that system and the creation of the Emergency Management Administration of Armenia’s government.

In 1991 the Emergency Management Administration (EMA) was set up and Stepan Badalyan was named as its head. The CP headquarter with its all units, which was acting in Armenia from 1961, in the end of 1991 has been put under the Emergency Management Administration. The administration, in contrast to the narrow frame of the civil protection activities in the past, accepted new, wide approach to the organization of the whole system from conceptual, professional and legal point of view, based on the possible occurrence of large-scale disasters and accidents, their classification and risk assessment.

Based on Government Decision No. 359, from 1997 September 4, rapid response rescue team was set up, which main tasks were.

- Rescue operations in disaster zone, as well as assistance provision to the population in case of emergency accidents in the shortest time;

- recovery works in case of disasters and accidents.

In 1994, Armenia became a full member of the International Civil Defense Organization.

In 1997, EMA was removed from the structure of the government and was renamed as Emergency Management Administration under the Armenian government.

In December 2005, the Emergency Management Administration was renamed as Armenian Rescue Service of the Ministry of Territorial Administration.

In 2008, by the decision of the country’s president, the Ministry of Emergency Situations was established and Mher Shahgeldyan was appointed Minister of Emergency Situations.