Armed conflict, industrial accidents, epidemics: French government plans ‘crisis’ booklet for residents

A pamphlet covering best practices in the event of several crises is being prepared by the French government and should be available by the summer.

The document will cover what residents should do in the event of situations including an industrial accident, a serious climate event (such as a major flood or earthquake), war, a disease outbreak, etc. 

The guide will consist of around twenty pages, under three subheadings of ‘getting ready’, ‘reacting’ and ‘getting involved’, according to national media FranceInfo and is being written by the General Secretariat for National Defence and Security. 

“The purpose of this document is to ensure the resilience of the population in the face of all types of crisis, whether natural, technological, cyber or security-related,” said a source close to the prime minister to the news site. 

It is “part of the national resilience strategy… to better prepare France, its businesses and its citizens for these shocks, to withstand crises over the long term, collectively and in depth,” the source added. 

Set to be available online 

A first version of the document is currently being validated by the prime minister, with authorities aiming for it to go live before summer. 

Initially, the document will be available for free online, with no decision taken as to whether it will be physically printed and sent to households. 

There is no information on whether the pamphlet will be available in other languages.

Not related to current conflicts 

Despite a partial focus on the risk of armed conflict “this manual is not directly linked to the current international context,” the source added.

“It's much broader than that.” 

“The aim is to tell the French to prepare for any eventuality, not just armed conflict. As the French doctrine is deterrence, it would be counter-productive to focus solely on armed conflict and to put that only in the minds of the French,” said an unnamed government member to French media Europe 1.

The document should “raise awareness of the notion of solidarity among the French population,” the source added.

Other European countries including Sweden have begun preparing citizens and residents for the potential of an outbreak of war, in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

Read more: What is France's 'Fr-Alert' system and when is it used?

What advice will it contain? 

The first section of the booklet is set to contain practical information covering several events, including how to keep in contact with relatives and the emergency supplies you should have at your home in the event of any issue.

These supplies include bottled water and tinned food (six litres and ten cans respectively), batteries and a torch, and medicines such as saline solution and painkillers, which would allow people to survive up to 72 hours indoors. 

Pictograms will be used to show what supplies are recommended.

The second section will list emergency numbers that may be useful for the specific situation, and what steps residents should take to minimise harm relating to the event in question. 

Read more: 112, 15, 17: Do you know the emergency numbers to use in France?

This includes actions such as closing your doors in the event of a nuclear accident to lower the risk of immediate radiation. 

Radio frequencies will be listed to help residents tune into the airwaves if other forms of media are unavailable. 

The final section takes a more preventative angle, advising people to sign up for the army reserves or local groups that would help in such events. 

“This is the civic part of the booklet, the aim being to raise awareness among everyone, young people, executives and even retired people,” the source said to Europe 1.