Expert urges Danes to prepare for three days without help

Fewer than half of Danes are prepared to manage on their own for three days, preparedness expert Lene Sandberg says, according to DR. She warns that people may delay preparations while a crisis seems abstract and unlikely.

Sandberg, a lecturer and researcher in preparedness and societal security, says people have grown used to society solving problems quickly. But when a crisis puts authorities under pressure, resources need to go to the most vulnerable, she says, so as many people as possible should be able to cope independently for a time.

“If everyone expects the problem to be solved immediately and starts contacting the authorities, we make their work even harder,” Sandberg says.

Making the risks feel real

Only two in five Danes have followed the Danish Emergency Management Agency’s recommendation to keep enough water, food and equipment at home to manage for three days, according to the latest survey cited in the article.

Sandberg says some people do not consider the risk important in their everyday lives, while others lack the money or space to prepare. People also find it difficult to plan for events they struggle to imagine, she says. Experiencing a loss of heat, water, electricity or payment services can make the risks feel more concrete and encourage people to prepare.

Denmark’s Defence Intelligence Service assesses that the likelihood of Russia launching a limited military attack on a NATO country is low but increasing. The National Risk Picture from the previous year also describes scenarios in which Russia or other actors could disrupt services in Denmark.

Sandberg helped create DR’s programme Crisis Exercise, in which former senior officials from Danish authorities and sectors make difficult decisions of the kind they might face in a real crisis involving foreign powers or “capable actors” disrupting Danish society.

Know what to expect

Sandberg says people are more willing to prepare when they understand what is expected of them, what help they can expect from the authorities and how they will receive information if usual communication channels fail.

Each of Denmark’s 98 municipalities is responsible for a local preparedness plan. Local Government Denmark issued new recommendations for local preparedness in April, and municipalities and other authorities are now working intensively on their plans, Sandberg says. Municipalities should, for example, have arrangements to protect older and vulnerable residents.

Some preparedness details may need to remain unpublished if sharing them could create security risks, Sandberg says. But she argues that secrecy alone does not create a resilient society.

How to prepare

Residents should keep enough water, food, first-aid supplies, toilet paper and other necessities to manage for three days. Sandberg also recommends keeping a flashlight, candles, an FM radio and batteries at home. The frequency for emergency broadcasts on P4 varies by location.

People can also discuss preparations with neighbours or others in their building, agree on a meeting point and decide who will do what if a crisis occurs.

Tags: Denmark, emergency preparedness, DR