Denmark urged to prioritize crisis preparation following widespread power outages in Spain and Portugal.
Crisis Prepping: Stay Ahead of the Game
Denmark's minister for national security and disaster contingency, Torsten Schack Pedersen, is urging the public to follow last year's guidelines for crisis preparation, citing the recent blackouts in Spain and Portugal as a wake-up call.
"It's crucial that everyone in Denmark has supplies to last them for at least three days during a crisis," Pedersen shared with news wire Ritzau, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for unexpected events.
In the aftermath of the blackout in Spain and Portugal, many people were caught without essential supplies, according to the minister.
Emergency Supplies Checklist
Essential emergency supplies as advised by the Danish Emergency Management Service (DEMA) include:
- Adequate drinking water for each person
- Non-perishable foods, such as canned goods and energy bars
- Additional items like toilet paper, candles, a first-aid kit, and personal hygiene products to ensure comfort and health during an emergency.
While DEMA primarily focuses on water, food, and other essential items, a well-rounded emergency kit might also include items like:
- An emergency blanket
- Candles or a light source
- A multi-functional handkerchief or buff
- A poncho or raincoat
- Duct tape
- Personal hygiene products
- A compass and a physical map
- Cash
- Personal documents in a waterproof container
Although these items are not specified by DEMA, they are generally recommended for emergency kits.
Pedersen also acknowledged that authorities and businesses could be better prepared for such situations. He noted that he would be meeting with 21 business representatives to discuss preparations that were scheduled prior to the incidents in Spain and Portugal.
Bjarne Nigaard, executive director of the Danish Emergency Management Organization, expressed concern that a power outage of the scale that hit Spain and Portugal could cause severe problems in Denmark, noting that current systems may not be adequate for responding to and recovering from such events.
In light of the growing threats and increasingly frequent severe weather events, Denmark's national risk assessment asserts that the level of outside threat to the country is at its most serious level for decades. The security situation in Europe and these weather events are major factors in this overall assessment.
Businesses must also take this issue seriously, according to the Confederation of Danish Industry, with the organization proposing agreements with companies to be on standby for supplies in the event of a crisis.
"We must act now to ensure our societies can withstand such situations," Rasmus Anderskouv, deputy director of the Confederation of Danish Industry, stated. By following these guidelines and being prepared, individuals, businesses, and the country as a whole can improve their resilience in the face of crises.
- Torsten Schack Pedersen, Denmark's minister for national security and disaster contingency, stated that everyone in Denmark should have emergency supplies to last for at least three days during a crisis, emphasizing the importance of preparedness.
- In the wake of the blackouts in Spain and Portugal, many people were caught without essential supplies, according to Minister Pedersen.
- The Danish Emergency Management Service (DEMA) advises having adequate drinking water, non-perishable foods, toilet paper, candles, a first-aid kit, and personal hygiene products as essential emergency supplies.
- However, a well-rounded emergency kit might also include items like an emergency blanket, candles or a light source, a multi-functional handkerchief or buff, a poncho or raincoat, duct tape, personal hygiene products, a compass and a physical map, cash, and personal documents in a waterproof container.
- Pedersen also mentioned that authorities and businesses could improve their preparations for such situations, stating that he would be meeting with 21 business representatives to discuss this.
- The Confederation of Danish Industry proposes agreements with companies to be on standby for supplies in the event of a crisis, emphasizing that businesses must take this issue seriously due to the growing threats and increasingly frequent severe weather events.
