How to prepare for a crisis

Planning ahead and thinking through potential actions in advance can help you prepare for crises. The main aim of a crisis plan is to ensure that you can manage independently for at least a week. The larger the crisis, the longer it may take for assistance from local government or the state to reach you. As a starting point, assess the risks in your home and surroundings and consider how to manage different situations. It is also useful to discuss potential crises with your family, neighbourhood, or housing association to identify the most likely risks in your area and what steps should be taken. Think about which essential services (electricity, communication, heating) you rely on and find alternative solutions in case any of them fail. It is important that all family members understand their role and responsibilities in the crisis plan.

Preparing as a family

Preparing with your housing association

Preparing with your community

Preparing as a family

Consider what essential services your home depends on (electricity, water, heating, communication, sanitation). Review your household supplies, including cash reserves, and assess the condition of your medical supplies and home first-aid kit.
Agree with close relatives on how to maintain contact during a crisis or where to meet if needed. Also, assess whether any family members require immediate support.
Ensure that all important documents and essential items are stored in a place where they can be quickly retrieved if necessary. Discuss with your family the location and use of important supplies (e.g. how to turn off water or gas, how to operate a generator, etc.).
Compile a list of essential contacts, including neighbours, housing association members, service providers, local authority helplines.

Discuss the following:

When and how to call for help in a crisis situation.
Where the most important supplies are stored and how to access them.
How to turn off water, gas and electricity if necessary.
Where you can temporarily go in case of danger (countryside, holiday home, relatives, friends, neighbours).
In which situations it is necessary to leave home (evacuation).
In which situations it is safer to stay at home.
What to take with you when leaving home.
How to care for pets in a crisis situation.

Preparing with your housing association

Housing associations also need to be prepared for crises. To handle crises effectively, every housing association should have a plan in place for situations where water, district heating, or electricity is disrupted.

Check who has access to the basement. Not all residents may have their own storage space or keys. Discuss internally who should have keys to critical areas (it is advisable for multiple people to have them) and agree that in the event of an emergency, all residents in the building have the right to seek shelter there.
The basement should ideally have multiple exits, and all exit doors should be operational and easily accessible, with keys available.
Doors, gates, and barriers should be operable manually in the event of a power outage. Similarly, technical systems (security alarms, heating, air conditioning, etc.) should have manual override options.
If the building has a lift, ensure it has clear instructions on what to do in case of a fault.
District heating systems generally continue working during a power outage, but heat may not reach the building. Consider whether your property requires a generator.
In case of prolonged water and sewage disruptions, portable toilets and water tanks can be ordered.
The housing association should keep track of residents who could temporarily relocate if needed.
Identify any vulnerable residents who may not be able to evacuate on their own and require assistance. Inform the local authorities of these individuals.
Residents should exchange contact details, and the housing association’s management should have up-to-date contact details for service providers and local authorities to report issues.

Preparing with your community

Assess various risks and develop an action plan which can be shared in a community meeting.
In addition to an evacuation plan, create a collective emergency response plan that all residents are aware of. Establish a communication system and unified sources of information.
Develop guidelines for handling disruptions to critical services such as electricity, water, sanitation, and ventilation. Explore alternative solutions where possible, such as generators and nearby sources of clean water. Identify which devices need to be manually reset in an outage and which have backup power.
Get to know your neighbours and exchange phone numbers.
Identify key figures in your community (e.g. village elder, housing association chair, neighbourhood representatives).
Work with key community figures to assess local risks and the potential impact of critical service failures. Plan together on how to strengthen collective preparedness, such as purchasing shared equipment (e.g. a power generator, water pump, fire extinguishers).
Identify which community members may require assistance during a crisis.
Establish a system for informing and assisting residents in difficult situations, particularly vulnerable groups like elderly people living alone or those with disabilities.

Discuss the following:

What is the population of your community or village?
What is the condition of the road network?
Where are the nearest sources of clean drinking water? Identify abandoned farms and wells in your area that may be useful.
Who in your community knows the local forests and roads well?
Where are the areas with poor mobile phone coverage?
Which residents have received training in emergency skills, such as first aid, firefighting, or psychological support?

Last updated: 13.03.2025