 "French President Emmanuel Macron talks with Francois Bayrou, leader of French centrist party MoDem (Mouvement Democrate) as he arrives to attend the second plenary session of the Conseil National de la Refondation (CNR - National Council for Refoundation) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, December 12, 2022. (Photo: Reuters)")
At a time when the Russian aggression has plunged Europe into the worst security crisis since the World War II, France has planned to distribute survival manuals to all its citizens to prepare for national emergencies, including wars and nuclear accidents.
The plan is the brainchild of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and comes after similar actions in Sweden and Finland.
A spokesperson for Bayrou told CNN that the manual “encourage citizens to develop their resilience in the face of different crises”.
“This includes natural disasters, technological and cyber incidents, health crises like Covid-19, and security crises like terrorist attacks and armed conflict,” said the spokesperson.
Once approved, the manual will be delivered to households before the summer, according to CNN.
What does France’s ‘survival manual’ manual contain?
The French survival manual is divided into three parts, according to The Guardian.
The first parts contains advice on how to protect “yourself and those around you”, the second part deals with what to do if a threat is imminent with a list of emergency numbers, radio channels, and a reminder to close doors and windows in case of a nuclear threat, and the third part deals with how to get involved in defending your community, including signing up for reserve units or firefighting groups.
Previously, France had issued a online guidelines in 2022 for preparations for emergency situations.
The booklet says that all households should have a “survival kit” including 6 liters of bottled water, a dozen tin cans of food, batteries, a flashlight in case of power outages, and stock of essential medical supplies, such as paracetamol, compresses, and saline solution, according to CNN.
Impact Shorts
View AllA spokespersom for the prime minister said that the manual will be the “first step in citizen engagement is to be informed about threats and stay updated”.
“Engagement can also mean joining associations, such as the reserve forces. We are doing everything we can to ensure citizens are ready to respond in the event of a crisis,” said the spokesperson.