Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) has launched a new campaign on December 1 designed to help people in the Netherlands be better prepared in case of a cyber attack or natural disaster.

NCTV: The Netherlands is unprepared for an emergency

In a joint interview with the AD and Het Parool, Aalbersberg said people in the Netherlands were poorly prepared for potential disasters. In an attempt to improve awareness and preparedness, the NCTV launched a campaign on December 1, designed to provide information and tips about surviving the immediate aftermath of an attack or natural disaster. 

“The Netherlands is extra vulnerable,” Aalbersberg explained. “The gap between threat and resistance is still too wide.” Together with his colleagues at the General Intelligence and Security Service (AVID) and the Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD), he warned that companies, specifically start-ups and those in the tech industries, are too naive.

Aalbersberg went on to talk about when Home Secretary Guus ter Horst launched a campaign in 2009 encouraging households and families to put together a kit in case of an emergency. “My generation still knows the emergency package from Minister Ter Horst,” he said. “That realisation and that preparation must come back again.”

How to survive in the aftermath of an attack or natural disaster

While the Dutch government has already said they won’t be distributing emergency kits to households in the Netherlands, the campaign launched by the NCTV directs members of the public to a website that provides information on putting together the tools required in order to survive for at least 48 hours after an emergency. 

The NCTV campain will focus on telling people how they can survive for up to 72 hours without energy and water. Back in 2009, households were told to put together a pack with a wind-up radio, pocket knife and a first aid kit. Other tips include making sure you have cash, candles, a torch and batteries, and non-perishable foods.