On Monday morning, Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Enger Mehl received the Total Preparedness Commission’s report on her table. The commission has looked at the strengths and weaknesses of the current emergency preparedness systems, and has come up with proposals on how society’s collective resources should be organized to strengthen social security and preparedness. The commission’s chairman, former chief of defense Harald Sunde, says there is a deep seriousness that has characterized the commission’s work. He believes the time to prioritize preparedness is now. – We need a change of pace in our preparedness work, says the commission’s chairman, former defense chief Harald Sunde. He says we must strengthen the municipalities’ ability for comprehensive planning and crisis management. He says preparedness must be built from below. – We must all have our own emergency stocks, says Sunde. Today, leader of the Total Preparedness Commission, Harald Sunde presents their advice to the Norwegian authorities on what should be done with preparedness in the country. Photo: William Jobling / news The threat picture has changed Justice and emergency preparedness minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) says that when the government set up the Total Preparedness Commission they knew it would be necessary to prioritize security in Norway. – The last time this was seen in context was when the vulnerability committee presented its report in 2000. The threat picture has changed significantly since then. This report will become an important tool for developing preparedness that stands up to the future. – Just two months after the commission started its work, Russia attacked Ukraine. It formed a serious backdrop for the commission’s work, and makes it extra important, says Mehl. YS leader Hans-Erik Skjæggerud says that they are happy that there is finally a report that confirms what they have tried to say earlier. – The preparedness mindset in the country has been and is too poor. – We now expect the government to read this report carefully and follow up on the most important recommendations with sufficient resources and funds, concludes Skjæggerud. Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Enger Mehl is pleased to receive the commission’s report today, and looks forward to familiarizing herself with the report. Photo: Bjarte Johannesen / news Outdated emergency preparedness plans The commission believes that the government must pay greater attention to the seriousness of the risk and threat picture, and that the advice on self-preparedness must be strengthened. – The advice should therefore be expanded to include mention of the upper crisis spectrum. This includes both the number of days the population must be able to fend for themselves in the event of a supply failure, and a clarification of which scenarios must be taken into account, says Sunde. Since 2002, the Directorate for Social Security and Preparedness (DSB) has carried out surveys about the municipalities’ work with social security. There it emerged that Kommune-Norge has out-of-date emergency plans. But it is not only the municipalities that are struggling. There are also deficiencies at regional level. Director of emergency preparedness in Troms and Finnmark, Ronny Schjelderup, can say that in Finnmark there are no evacuation plans for the civilian population should a war break out. – It is something we have been aware of for some time. Obviously, that’s not what we want, and we have to look at it and start making a plan. On consultation The Total Preparedness Commission’s report will shortly be sent for public consultation, just like the Defense Commission’s report. – A consultation round is important to ensure that everyone who wants it has the opportunity to provide input to the reports and to the authorities’ follow-up of them, says Mehl. The two reports are part of a broad knowledge base for the further work to further develop and strengthen social security, preparedness and national security in Norway.
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The Total Preparedness Commission report is presented – news Troms and Finnmark
