“Your basic skills have to be good,” he says. “If the power goes out, it is useful to know how to act medically, so a first aid course is useful.” According to him, alternative cooking is also an indispensable skill. “If the power goes out, your induction and gas will no longer work. How do you prepare a meal?”
Emergency radio
In addition, he believes, an emergency radio is essential. If the power goes out for an extended period of time, you quickly lose access to the internet, and gathering information during a disaster is important. “In addition, fake news is also spread online during emergencies. With an emergency radio you can switch to the local emergency frequency, where you will be kept informed of developments.”
According to him, the Netherlands is certainly not there yet in terms of preparation, “but we are on the right track.” However, we must ensure that there is no fear or aversion to the spread of this subject, he believes. “It is important that we stick to the facts and look at it from a sober and realistic angle.”
Make it negotiable
De Vries recommends making the subject open for discussion. “Buy a little extra food and drink with every errand, and find out how to cook an alternative meal. Then you will also have more mental peace and you will be better prepared if a power outage actually occurs in the Netherlands.”