Alertswiss or the "Swiss Government Preppers" // 18-2-10
Yesterday, I mentioned the app/website [1]https://alertswiss.ch by the
Swiss government. It mainly consists of a template for emergency
planning, and twelve short texts about main risks of large scale
events/emergencies, combined with recommended preparations and
procedures. Everything is based on requirements and conditions in
Switzerland, but even if you're somewhere else you may use some of
these ideas for your own preparations.
I have transcribed the important contents, hoping not to run into
copyright issues, and also added some personal comments. Content from
the app is marked as citation in the following, although my own
wording.
Emergency Plan
Note the following points, update yearly and share/discuss with
relatives and friends:
* relative's names and numbers
* how to get home for every member of the family: avoid main traffic
routes, prearrange transports
* bugging-in stocks: water 9 L/person, soup concentrate/salt, dry
meat, dried fruits, instant meals/soups/sauces not requiring
cooling, tinned meat/fish, fruit juices, pet food, cheese,
tea/coffee, durable milk, canned food, oil/fat, rice, pasta,
chocolate, baby food, sugar/jam/honey, crisp bread; battery radio,
gas cooker, candles, matches, lighter, soap, toilet paper, hygiene
products, torches and batteries
They recommend stocking food and water for at least one week,
suggesting 9 L of water per person or enough for 3 to 4 days,
corresponding to 3 L/person/day. I would add water filter or
bleaching/disinfectant. They are just speaking of "torches" but I would
definitely go for LED lamps/lanterns only, and also some solar-powered
batteries or hand-crank generators.
* medical stuff: personal medication, disinfectant, thermometer,
diarrhea treatment, tweezers, pain killers,
bandages/gauzes/band-aids
* prearranged emergency accommodation (holiday flats, friends) in
case of home evacuation
* at least two prearranged (and family-wide known) meeting points if
home unreachable: one close to home, one further away towards
emergency accommodation
* bug-out bags: mobile phone with batteries, passports/IDs, personal
medication, cash, food and water for one day; if more preparation
time available: portable radio, spare clothes, family documents,
copy of house/land ownership, valuables, first-aid kit,
certificates of salary, savings documents, foul-weather gear, LED
lamp, last will(s), toiletries, insurance policies with property
lists, contracts, toys
These recommendations approximately correspond to a 24-hours and an
additional 72-hours bug-out bag. In Switzerland, this is probably
reasonable, as we're a highly connected country, and in most cases,
you'll quickly strand somewhere with a minimum of additional resources.
They also say you should be able to put together the bug-out stuff in
half an hour, but I would go for fully prepared 72-hours bags anyway.
* neighbours needing assistance
That's an interesting point which I don't remember having seen anywhere
else. It's good advice though, IMHO, because in an emergency,
elderly/handicapped people easily risk being forgotten in the first
rush.
General Instructions in Case of Large-Scale Events
* inform yourself via official broadcasts, follow official
instructions
* only call emergency services in case of immediate emergency
* only use telephone and other communication means in important and
urgent cases
* only use cars and other transportation means in important and
urgent cases
* prepare for breakdown of traffic control systems (lights, barriers
etc)
* inform and support neighbours and impaired or endangered people
This is mostly a call for self-reliance.
Major Dangers/Risks
They are described in some detail, together with most important first
measures, which I'm transcribing below.
* Earthquakes: seek cover, prepare for secondary earthquakes, leave
buildings if severely damaged, check gas/water/electricity and
switch off in case of doubt
* Floods: calmly and independently leave affected areas and
especially underground strucutres without taking unnecessary risks,
don't drive through flooded roads, avoid threatened or damaged
areas like river beds and banks
* Storms: seek shelter, avoid open and exposed areas and vicinity of
tall objects, beware of flying debris, secure outside objects
* Snowfall: keep away from trees and roofs, beware of high roof
loads, stay inside and close window shutters in case of imminent
risk of avalanches
Switzerland has a lot of water and precipitations; therefore draughts
are not considered a main risk.
* Fires: in case of fire call fire brigade on 118, inform people
acutely at risk, leave affected areas immediately
* Heat Waves: avoid outside activities, protect against direct
sunlight, drink plenty of water, stay inside cool buildings or
rooms
* Severe Cold/Frost: avoid outside activities and driving, prepare
for power outage, protect plants and buildings
* Power Outage: unplug or switch off devices connected to the mains
grid, switch appliances back on only one after the other when power
returns
* Pandemia: get vaccinations, wash and disinfect hands regularly,
cough and sneeze into paper towel or crook of the arm, avoid crowds
and big events, avoid handshaking and kissing, keep away from other
persons, stay at home and wear mask in case of sickness
* Chemical accident: seek shelter inside buildings, close doors and
stop ventilation systems, accommodate endangered people
* Dam bursts: immediately leave endangered areas and seek higher
areas
* Nuclear accident: seek shelter inside buildings, close doors and
stop ventilation systems, keep radio and blankets and iodine
tablets ready
People living in the vicinity (roughly up to 20 km away) of Swiss
nuclear power-plants receive iodine tablets to stock at home, which
have to be intaken upon order by the government, to prevent
accumulation of radioactive substances in the thyroid gland.
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I think these recommendations are a very good starting point for
"prepping" in Switzerland. However, I guess of my friends, family and
acquaintances, at most 10% do think about these things, and perhaps 2%
are really prepared...
I'll try to start some polls and discussions, to find out whether I'm
right or wrong and to improve awareness.
.:.
References
1. https://alertswiss.ch/