Will close shelters: now the government asks Norwegians to protect themselves



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TV 2 previously reported that Norway cannot protect the entire population in an emergency.

During the Cold War, shelters scattered across the country were supposed to ensure the safety of the civilian population, but for many years Norway has been unprepared to prepare, staff or operate them.

– Giv’em rope

Instead of improving shelters, the government will abolish the current scheme, writes the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Management in the social security report:

“According to the government’s assessment, the current hosting solution is out of date.”

Putin’s super missile: – Alert time equal to zero

– The government has decided that the shelter scheme in its current form will be phased out when a new safe accommodation scheme is established for the population through evacuation across the crisis spectrum, says senior communications adviser Andreas Bondevik at the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Management to TV 2.

According to the government, the Norwegian population will not be able to seek refuge in a shelter during war and major crises.

Many of the rooms are located incorrectly with respect to where the population currently resides, according to the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Management.

– Today’s civil protection measures were established as a result of experiences during World War II and developments during the Cold War. The measures are usually oriented to the threats and types of weapons of the time. The current situation of security policy and the change in the image of risk and vulnerability means that we must change priorities related to shelters, Andreas Bondevik tells TV 2.

The case was discussed for the first time in the forum of the Armed Forces.

Increase in military activity

Today’s threat image is an increase in military activity in the immediate areas of Norway. The nuclear threat against Norway has returned and the alert time is zero.

According to the Norwegian authorities, Russia is capable of carrying out attacks from great distances and has the military capacity to strike targets in all parts of the Norwegian territory, including nuclear weapons.

Chief of Staff Lars Lervik described the development of the security policy as disturbing when he recently spoke about President Vladimir Putin’s plans for the use of Russian nuclear weapons.

Concerned about the Russian nuclear threat

– If the Russian state is subjected to a conventional attack, it will be able to respond with the help of nuclear weapons. This means that nuclear weapons are part of the threat image we must face, also here in Norway, Major General Lervik told TV 2.

Bad maintenance

In 2016, a devastating report stated that if Norway is attacked, there is almost no preparation for the civilian population. Various shelters are used on a daily basis for other purposes, such as warehouses, deck hotels, and office premises by voluntary organizations, sports clubs, and others.

For more than 20 years, the construction of new shelters has been temporarily halted pending a new concept of protection, states the Storting report “Social security in an insecure world”.

– This remains a current practice, which has meant that the coverage rate of shelters is steadily declining as a result of population growth and the removal of dilapidated rooms, writes the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness.

These Norwegian cities give you the best and worst protection during war

The Geneva Convention stipulates that the authorities must guarantee the protection of civilians in times of war. However, there is only room for less than half of Norway’s population in shelters.

– Short notice period

The government will meet the needs of the civilian population by establishing a new scheme called “safe places to stay”, while also allowing civilians time to seek protection after notification.

“Several NATO countries consider shelters to be less relevant due to the short alert period in the event of an attack and recommend that civil protection rely more heavily on effective warnings and information, and that coverage be sought where you are staying. “a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Management told television. two.

According to the ministry, special attention should be paid to the continuation of shelters with a high level of protection in particularly vulnerable areas.

– The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness will shortly instruct DSB, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to evaluate and propose criteria for safe accommodation for the population during evacuation across the spectrum of crisis, says the ministry’s communications advisor .

To be sure in case a crisis occurs, you must have this at home

Self-preparation

It also confirms that the government also proposes that Norwegians on their own should prepare for a possible crisis situation.

In 2018, the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB) encouraged all Norwegians to obtain a basic emergency service that lasts for 72 hours.

The Government refers in the White Paper to this DSB campaign when it states that the self-protection measures “Provides good protection against many types of adverse events both in peacetime and against acts of war”.

– The government has decided that the design of future civil protection measures will be based on three main elements: timely alert to the population with a high degree of coverage, adequate evacuation to safe places to stay and self-preparation, says the senior advisor of Andreas Bondevik from the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Management to TV 2.

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