A truck that smashes into a building, a pile-up and several injuries: dozens of people practiced a realistic disaster situation at the National Training Center in Vught on Friday. This involved a training by De BurgerReserve, a new initiative that trains people to become civilian reservists.
When you think of reservists you might think of the army, but that is not the case here. Civilian reservists are people who want to help others in times of crisis and need. For example, they can assist the fire brigade and the Red Cross in the event of a disaster.
“Citizen reservists are especially needed when the situation is so serious that the government can no longer handle it alone,” explains Ralf van Vegten, director of De BurgerReserve. “It’s mainly about people being able to help each other.”
‘Useful for every day’
Research shows that citizens are often the first to arrive at a disaster site or to take action in a crisis situation. During the training, participants learn not only procedures and theory, but also how to stay calm, collaborate and set priorities.
“The goal, among other things, is for people to realize that in times of crisis they can do much more than they think,” says Van Vegten. “That you don’t run away but take action when something is wrong.” Skills such as CPR and first aid are also discussed. “The knowledge you gain is therefore not only useful in times of crisis, but for every day.”
The participants come from all kinds of places. From municipal officials and nurses in training to employees in disability care and trainees at Defense: they will all participate in the training in Vught on Friday.
“These are intensive days,” says Gijs, a civil servant in daily life. “But I have already learned a lot. I especially wanted to know how you react under pressure, when something happens that you didn’t expect. And you learn to work with people you don’t know.”
Thousands of registrations
Anyone aged 18 or older with an average level of fitness and health can become a civilian reservist. You will receive online training and a thirty-hour ‘practical expedition’. Thousands of people have already registered and the first hundreds of people have been trained.
“The intention is that there will be 130,000 civilian reservists in the Netherlands in six years,” says Van Vegten. “That means one in every street. Then you have people in every neighborhood who can help fellow residents in times of crisis. It is an enormous, but very rewarding job.”
Not everything went well during the training on Friday, but that is also useful, according to one of the training participants. “That makes you think in bed at night: what could I have done differently? I have really learned things that I did not know before. You are prepared for all forms of emergency situations.”
In principle, participants do not have to pay for the training to become a civilian reservist themselves. The BurgerReserve encourages employers to pay for the training.
