The Generalitat de Catalunya, aware that the risks are increasingly unpredictable, thanks to climate change and digital dependence, has launched a campaign that takes us out of passivity: the emergency backpack.
The initiative, presented by the Minister of Interior and Public Safety, Núria Parlon, has a clear and very journalistic objective: to place self-protection and citizen co-responsibility at the center. In Barcelona Secreta language: they are asking us to stop being spectators of catastrophes and start being influencers of our own survival. The goal? To be prepared for a scenario of isolation or lack of basic services for at least 72 hours, following the recommendations of the European Union.
The list of essentials for surviving “no services”.
If you thought the emergency kit was the stuff of apocalyptic movies, it’s time for an update. Civil Protection has been promoting this idea for a decade, but it is now that the need is pressing. The basic resistance kit is not complex, but it is vital. It should be located near the door of the house for immediate access, like that bag you always have on hand before going out.
According to the Generalitat, these are some of the items that cannot be missing in your ‘backpack of the future’:
- Water and food: The recommended minimum is 1.5 liters of water per person per day, plus non-perishable and canned food.
- Old-fashionedcommunication: A battery-powered radio (and spare batteries) is essential, as apps and fiber optics can go down.
- Light and heat: Flashlight and matches.
- Off-line finance: Cash. Recent experience showed that without light there is no POS or ATM.
- Vital documentation: Copies of ID cards, prescriptions, and any essential documents.
- Special supplies: Include personal medication, baby items, or pet food/documentation.
The crisis that laid bare our technological dependence
The urgency of this campaign is no accident. As Councilor Parlon pointed out, a massive blackout last April in Catalonia served as a painful reminder of our fragility. People found themselves without the ability to make electronic payments, without access to information or, in many cases, basic resources.
The concept of being prepared for 72 hours is not a Catalan invention. It is a standard promoted by the European Union and replicated by civil protection agencies across the continent, as other Spanish survival guides remind us (Source: Proteccion Civil / RTVE). The aim of the three days is to anticipate possible delays in the recovery of basic services (electricity, water, communications) in scenarios of great impact, whether floods or extreme storms.
While the Catalan basic kit focuses on the immediate, at national and international level certain key points are reinforced. For example, some Civil Protection guides in Spain insist on having at least 5 liters of water per person or even non-perishable food that does not require cooking, or material to assemble a basic shelter, such as plastic tarpaulins.