A little while ago I got a proper overhaul because I had not followed up on the authorities’ preparedness advice. It is completely irresponsible and I was ashamed. Now I have bought a large water can and filled it up. I have checked that I have torches with batteries and that the cooker has gas. I have bought iodine tablets, dry goods, matches and enough candles. Like the old scout that I am, I mumbled the scout greeting to myself with satisfaction: “Always prepared!” But then it hit me. I’m not really, that is, prepared. I have a food ration that will get me through a week, but what do I do if it really hits? No, I have no idea. I’m clearly not alone in that. More than seven out of ten Norwegians over the age of 18 feel like me, according to a survey carried out by response analysis for LO. One question was: “If a war/crisis occurs, do you as an employee know where to meet and/or what your duties/tasks are?” To that, 76 per cent replied that they neither know where to meet nor what their duties or tasks are. The emergency alert on the mobile phone works, we have tested that. In other words, our mobiles howl at the same time. But have we really thought through that crises can actually hit us? As a child during the Cold War, I can well remember the testing of the aircraft alarm. Three blasts with a pause in between means “important message, listen to the radio”. Short shocks for one minute means danger of attack. Continuous beeping for half a minute means the danger is over. The sound from the signal system echoed across the valley, and we had emergency drills at the school. Then we went in a group to the shelter. Now I have no idea where the nearest shelter is. I also don’t know if there is a shelter at my daughter’s school. Only one in three primary schools in Oslo say they have shelters. How is the situation in the rest of Norway? I do a simple google search. Municipalities throughout the country report the same thing: the maintenance of the shelters is often inadequate, there are too few shelters and people know little where these are. I had someone I know in the civil defense check the shelter map. They are few and far between. For example, Asker was marked with only two. Both right next to the center of Asker. Now that Asker covers the entire Hurum Peninsula, it is worrying. The distance to Tofte is almost an hour by car. The two shelters can hardly accommodate more than a few hundred people. The population has almost doubled after the municipal mergers and now numbers around 100,000 people. Shelters for the civilian population have been systematically closed down, rented out or sold for a pittance over the past 30 years. Of those who remain, many are in such a bad condition that they are dangerous to stay in. The Civil Defense also does not have the capacity to supervise the shelters to a sufficient extent. Previously, private developers were required to create shelters when they built larger housing estates. We had a lot of so-called bomb shelters when I was growing up. Now people barely know what a bomb shelter is, much less where they are and how to get there and use them. Many have been converted into garages, and everything new that is built does not require shelters. There are two main categories of shelters in Norway – private and public. When everything is taken into account, around 40 per cent of the population will be covered, according to the Total Preparedness Commission, which has been out for consultation. It can’t possibly be good enough. What should ensure the population’s protection in war, such as planning for evacuation and shelter services, has been dismantled. The sins of omission have been many, they have continued over many years and committed under many different governments. The commission also points out shortcomings in both regulations and planning, and that the work with civil defense tasks at various authorities and in the municipalities is not coordinated well enough. This has been known for a long time. The Norwegian Storting’s report “Samfunnssikkert i en insefier werden” from 2020 concluded that the civil protection measures are generally inadequate and outdated, and that the measures will not be able to protect the population in a satisfactory manner. The Norwegian Defense Research Institute has also expressed concern. They believe there is a need for more knowledge about how the civilian population in Norway is to be protected, and what the civilian population can expect from the authorities in crisis and war. I make a scout salute in the direction of the water can, and say a silent prayer that I won’t have to use it. I will pass on the concern. This government has people’s safety as its number one job. Millions of fresh kroner are thrown at the Armed Forces, but is the civil preparedness in Norway good enough? Send us your opinion Want to write? Feel free to contact us at news Ytring with your post. The guidelines can be found here. Published 15.10.2024, at 22.29
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What do I do if it really hits? – Speech
