According to Ukraine’s experience, the “72-hour” crisis manual is supplemented / Article

Also, a special campaign is planned soon, in which residents will be informed about various resilience measures.

Supplements with more detailed information on actions in case of war

The “72 hours” booklet was made several years ago, but with the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the booklet gained much more relevance. Previously, it contained practical information and advice on preparing for various crisis situations, but now the booklet has been supplemented.

Added, for example, information about the family’s action plan in crisis situations, about what supplies should be made, how to prepare in an evacuation situation. The booklet also provides information on how to develop an action plan for a crisis situation, taking into account, for example, whether a person lives in a private house or an apartment building.

The manual includes additional information on emergency supplies and things to keep in the car. And among them are, for example, a paper road map of Latvia, blankets, extra water, food with a long shelf life and other useful things.

The booklet is supplemented with a more detailed section on how to act in the event of war, for example, how to provide support for national defense, what are the responsibilities of citizens during a military threat, how to act in various situations, for example, during artillery fire or an air strike, in the event of a nuclear threat, or if, as a result of hostilities, temporary control over part of the territory would be lost, and other information.

“Several sections have been improved. One of them is, in principle, about how to act in a crisis situation, planning actions in the family.

Here are also specifics about the stocks that should be created to prepare for different situations, and what is needed specifically in case of evacuation. And these escape elements are a specific enumeration. And I will probably have to repeat that in a crisis the safest place is your home. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to think about different scenarios. Obtaining information is very important,” stated Defense Minister Andris Spruds (“Progressives”).

Informational campaign “Armed with knowledge” will be launched

The booklet is available digitally, but the Ministry of Defense said the booklet will also be available in print to reach as many people as possible.

The booklet is the first step, soon the Ministry of Defense will launch the informational campaign “Armed with knowledge”, the aim of which will be simply to inform the public in order to build a stronger comprehensive defense.

During the campaign, at the beginning of May, guidelines will be created on how municipalities should act to develop civil protection plans, including being able to cooperate with each other.

On June 15, there will be a larger event in several municipalities, where practical classes will be held, telling people about actions in crisis situations.

“We are going in the direction of informing the public, because it is very important,

we have also realized that the need or potential for this information is large enough, and that is why the campaign “Armed with knowledge” is what we are launching to really give this knowledge to the public. This is absolutely our responsibility, it is also one of the priorities of the minister. It is necessary to inform the public if there is a demand, and then we have to come with these materials, which have been considered and weighed, and that is what we are currently doing,” stated Minister of Defense Spruds.

The State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, Aivars Puriņš, also emphasized that in order to strengthen national security, it is necessary to inform the public.

“72-hour readiness or endurance, not so much a bag, because the bag, as in the previous public space discussions, created the illusion that you need to pack your bag and go somewhere. To have this three-day endurance, to be able to rely on your own strength, so that you can expect support and help from others, – to be able to take care of yourself in the family or individually these three days.

And this does not mean that this is tied to the bag and that you have to go somewhere, it is important to be able to support yourself for these three days,” explained the state secretary of the ministry.