Dutch people don't know what to do in an emergency: Red Cross
Netherlands residents are insufficiently prepared for emergency situations and don’t know what to do if a conflict breaks out or there’s a natural disaster, the Red Cross and the Netherlands Institute for Public Safety (NIPV) told BNR.
It is important for people to be prepared for big and small calamities, Suzanne Segaar of the Red Cross told the broadcaster. “In the first few hours, it is important that you know how to act.” For example, only one in five Netherlands residents has ever taken a first aid course, according to the Red Cross. Medical skills make you much more resilient when emergency aid is not readily available.
NIPV director IJle Stelstra thinks the Netherlands should follow the example of Northern- and Eastern European countries and train citizens on what to do in an emergency. He urged the Ministry of Education to adapt the curriculum in primary schools accordingly. “You must learn from an early age that this is also part of society.”
The NIPV has launched a platform called WeerbaarNL to connect the various initiatives in the Netherlands that promote safety and self-reliance. “We need to map out which capacities we have and what is still needed,” Stelstra told the broadcaster.
