The case in summary: • Less than half of Norwegians store water at home, despite the authorities’ advice.• An associate professor criticizes Norwegian preparedness and believes that Norwegians should prepare for war, as the Swedes are asked.• Directorate for Community Security and Preparedness (DSB) rejects the criticism and says that they are preparing the population for a number of scenarios.• The Swedes receive concrete advice on what to do in a war situation through a preparedness brochure.• In a survey by DSB, 93 per cent respond that they know the authorities’ advice, but only 49 per cent store water at home. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I have to check where it is. It is the wife who has done it, says Caleb Kasper in Skien. He shows the way to the shed where the family have their preparedness in order. In this household, they follow the advice and are prepared for a possible crisis. If the electricity or access to food and water is lost, they have their own preparedness in a box, literally. Caleb Kasper and son show off the emergency box they have at home, which is filled with, among other things, dry goods, canned goods and drinks. In addition, they have stored water. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / NRKCaleb Kasper and son show off the emergency box they have at home, which is filled with, among other things, dry goods, canned goods and drinks. In addition, they have stored water. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news – It is good to be prepared, because these are very uncertain times. One can think of a major war, but what if we get a huge snowfall? Norwegians not preparing for war The preparedness brochure from the Directorate for Social Security and Preparedness (DSB) recently arrived in the mailbox, but unlike the Swedes, Norwegians are not told to prepare for war. Monika Bartoszewicz at the Arctic University of Norway (UiT) believes Norwegians must also be prepared for war. Photo: The Arctic University of Norway (UiT) – It is better to be prepared and perhaps seem a little paranoid than not to be prepared, says Monika Bartoszewicz, associate professor at the Department of Technology and Security at the University of Tromsø. – If we end up in a very difficult situation, we have a population that has been told that they don’t have to worry about anything but avalanches in the winter. This is rejected by DSB, which is responsible for keeping an overview of risks and dangers in society. Elisabeth Aarsæther in DSB believes that they are preparing the population for a number of different dangerous situations. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news – DSB disagrees with that. What we are preparing the population for are a number of scenarios. If it were to happen that you end up in an even more serious situation closer to our borders, we have prepared the possibility of distributing that information immediately, says Elisabeth Aarsæther, director of DSB. Should we be prepared for war? No, that’s too drastic. There will only be scaring the population. Yes, it is better to be prepared no matter what may happen. Yes, absolutely. We should be as clear as in Sweden and give concrete advice also for a war. Show result Swedes get concrete war advice The Swedish preparedness brochure is clear in its speech already on the cover of the booklet. In “If the crisis or the war comes”, the Swedish population receives very specific advice on what to do in a war situation. The Swedish preparedness brochure is clear that citizens must be prepared for both crises and war. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news If an air raid were to occur, people are asked to go to a shelter or another safe place. It is also said that shelters protect against pressure waves and shrapnel from bombs. The simplest protection outside is still to lie down in a pit, enter a tunnel or stand by a wall. Inside, one should seek protection in a room without windows. In the Swedish emergency preparedness brochure, citizens receive concrete advice in both text and drawings on how to protect themselves in the event of an air raid. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news Less than half store water In a recent survey by DSB, 93 per cent answered that they knew the authorities’ advice. But only 49 percent answer that they store water at home. One of those who is currently sitting on the fence is Hans Uleberg. Hans Uleberg has not yet built up a self-preparedness at home. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / NRKHans Uleberg has not yet built up a self-preparedness at home. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news – I have not prepared an emergency package like this yet. – But in Sweden they are preparing the citizens for war. If you had become one, do you think you would have done it then? – Yes, of course I would have done it. Absolutely. Checklist for self-preparedness Clean drinking water stored in jugs or bottles. Food that can withstand storage at room temperature. Grill, cooker or storm kitchen. Warm clothes, blankets, duvets and sleeping bags. Matches and candles. Wood if you have a wood stove or fireplace. A gas or kerosene stove intended for indoor use is an alternative to wood burning. Agreement on accommodation if you do not have alternative heating. Flashlights or headlamps that run on batteries, cranks or solar cells. DAB radio that runs on batteries, crank or solar cells. Medicines and first aid equipment. Iodine tablets (applies to children and adults under 40, pregnant and breastfeeding women). Hygiene items such as wet wipes, hand sanitizer, nappies, toilet paper and menstrual products. Batteries and charged battery bank. Some cash and several payment cards. Food and water for pets. List on paper with important telephone numbers such as emergency numbers, emergency room, vet, family, friends and neighbours. Source: Directorate for Community Security and Emergency Preparedness Published 02.12.2024, at 22.22
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