France Issues Survival Guides to Households: Emergency Preparedness, Including Potential Scenarios of Armed Conflict
France is gearing up to deliver a "preparedness guide" to each household, aiming to boost the resilience of citizens amidst potential dangers – including potential conflict on French soil.
The spokesperson for Prime Minister Francois Bayrou told CNN that this guide serves to promote the development of resilience in the face of diverse emergencies. These incidents span from natural disasters and technological hiccups to health crises and security threats – encompassing everything from terrorist attacks to armed conflicts.
This proposal, if approved by Bayrou, will see households receiving this 20-page booklet ahead of the summer season. Interestingly, this French initiative stems from updates to similar booklets distributed to Swedish and Finnish households, which provide guidance on readying for the fallouts of military conflicts, communications blackouts, and power cuts, as well as extreme weather events.
The new booklet is slated to follow the same content structure as a French government website launched in 2022. The site offers advice on emergency preparation. The guide is divided into three sections, offering practical guidance on shielding oneself and loved ones from immediate danger.
Within the guide, you'll find recommendations such as keeping a list of emergency contacts (fire, police, ambulance), knowing the correct radio stations to tune into, and ensuring doors are secured in the wake of a nuclear accident. The booklet also touches upon ways to contribute to the community's defense, including volunteering for reserve units or local fire-fighting groups.
To prepare for emergencies, the booklet suggests households assemble a "survival kit" that contains essentials for power outages like bottled water, canned foods, batteries, and a flashlight. It further recommends stocking up on medical supplies, such as paracetamol, compresses, and saline solution.
Moussa Saki, a 19-year-old restaurant server in Paris, expressed support for the initiative, stating, "it's important to be prepared for a crisis, and the government is taking the right steps. Basic things like medicine and food should be given to every household." However, skepticism remains about an impending conflict in France, with some expressing doubts about its likelihood.
Laurette Mourgue d'Algue, a 25-year-old primary school teacher, views the manual as a commonsense step in crisis prevention. Despite her anti-war sentiments, she acknowledges that Nordic countries like Sweden and Denmark are better prepared psychologically than France. As crucial as this document may be, Mourgue d'Algue emphasizes the need for additional training to address psychological safety issues.
The prime minister's spokeswoman noted that "the first step in citizen engagement is to be informed about threats and stay updated." Citizen engagement could also mean joining associations, such as the reserve forces. She affirmed the government's efforts to assure citizens are ready to respond during emergencies.
In support of this initiative, Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to revamp France's security forces, including the increase of operational reservists from 40,000 to 100,000 by 2035. The prime minister emphasized the importance of equipping the country, stating, "Our country and our continent must continue to defend themselves, equip themselves, and prepare if we want to avoid war."
- The French government's forthcoming preparedness guide, aimed at boosting citizen resilience, will be distributed to each household and follow the structure of a French government website launched in 2022.
- The guide, divided into three sections, offers practical guidance on shielding oneself and loved ones from immediate danger, including recommendations for assembling a survival kit with essentials for power outages.
- The spokeswoman for Prime Minister Francois Bayrou emphasized that "the first step in citizen engagement is to be informed about threats and stay updated," encouraging citizens to join associations, such as the reserve forces, in preparation for emergencies.
