Dutch households to receive manual for surviving first 72 hours after national emergency
In the coming weeks, every Dutch household will receive a 33-page government manual on preparing for an emergency. The manual provides tips for surviving the first three days of a disaster, when the government and emergency services cannot reach everyone.
Caretaker Minister Foort van Oosten of Justice and Security presented the booklet on Monday. It starts with several doomsday scenarios. For example, if hackers successfully attack the power grid, we’ll be unable to contact friends and family within hours, the gas stations will close, supermarkets will run out of supplies, and it is uncertain whether tap water will still run.
“This situation shows how vulnerable we can be and how important good preparation is, so you don’t have to panic or hoard,” Van Oosten said. “I urge everyone: think ahead. With this information booklet, we want to ensure that all Dutch people can be well-prepared for an emergency.”
The booklet encourages people to create an emergency kit containing items like drinking water, a torch with batteries, shelf-stable food, a first-aid kit, copies of identity documents, a map of the neighborhood, and a whistle to attract the attention of emergency services.
The government also advises creating an emergency plan, considering things like who will pick up the children at school if digital communication fails and what will happen to your vulnerable neighbor.
Asked whether this booklet will instill fear, caretaker Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans told Nieuwsuur that the government is hoping to achieve the opposite: helping people feel safer by knowing that they are prepared.
Brekelmans called the booklet absolutely necessary, pointing out that the Netherlands is already facing daily cyberattacks and Russian ships are spying in the North Sea. “Perhaps they are preparing for sabotage that could affect vital infrastructure,” he said. “It’s quite possible that Russia will take more risks in the coming years.”
