A whole new website where you can find all the informations about your safety – in one place.

Sigurno.info is a website that talks about general safety (sigurno = safe) . The site is still in development, but the main goals are:
1. To collect all the safety protocols and information in one place.
2. To be a reliable source of information.
3. To prevent initial panic.
4. To react better in case of accidents and emergency situations.

After the pandemic, followed by an earthquake in Croatia, a lot of people were left traumatized. Moreover, aggression on Ukraine that could escalate into a global conflict raises additional concerns. Can it get any worse than that? Some would argue that in situations like these, we shouldn’t scare people even further by writing about other potential accidents and emergency situations.

Even so, the goal of the Sigurno.info website is not to evoke a continuous state of worry, but rather the opposite – it’s to collect all the simple and quick tips on how to keep safe in crisis, and by doing that – achieve calm and quick reaction in emergency situations. You might be asking, is this even possible?

We think it is possible. In reality, people in Croatia who have already experienced the devastating consequences of war, in their lifetime also witnessed serious injuries, faced death, and had to worry about the health of their child, and the potential of losing a job or property.
Long time ago we used to laugh at the actions like “Nothing Can Surprise Us” organized by State Civil Protection in former Yugoslavia. We didn’t see the point in having underground shelters when the Second World War was forgotten long time ago, and we all complained about how unnecessary is to have mandatory military service. It turns out that “the devil never sleeps”, and that it’s always good to be ready and prepared for the various troubles in life.

Our website will be providing links to official data from state services that are in charge of different crisis protocols, as well as expert advice. Even if we consider that many of us are familiar with the basics of providing first aid (which we had to pass exam when acquiring our driver’s license), we believe that there is still a lot more to be said about safety. Our website Sigurno.info should become the ultimate security guide for your whole family and your property.
We will cover themes from the consequences of abuse in the workplace, domestic violence, theft, public violence and riots, up to the current war conflicts. Some of these issues can (at least to a certain degree) be managed if we are more informed and prepared for emergencies.

The concept of safety during a war conflict sounds like an oxymoron, and of course, no one can guarantee safety during global catastrophes, but quality information and preparation are the preconditions for minimizing risk. This can at least help us navigate through these dangerous situations a little bit better.

Sigurno.info was created by Croatian company Euro Communications from Samobor near Zagreb, and in collaboration with our expert associates who have many years of experience in different fields of public safety and security.

Stay tuned!

(Photo: Freepik)

Preppers – conspiracy theories, reptilian people, end of the world, life in underground shelters, and similar concepts are no longer the prevailing image that “preppers” have in the public eye.

Preppers (also known as survivalists) are people who are often defined as those who intensely prepare for an impending catastrophe or collapse of civilization, and accordingly plan, prepare, and test survival methods and strategies. Although they have often been criticized as extreme groups prone to conspiracy theories, after some time and the spread of similar movements globally, it has been shown that they are a diverse group of people whose intentions are not always bad. After all, the spread of violence at all levels has forced us all to rethink how to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

The useful advice of preppers is similar to the rules of emergency services:

Emergency bag (a bag with items necessary for the first 72 hours of danger, in addition to the standards recommended by emergency services, preppers often add basic tools, hunting knife, duct tape, etc.)

Evacuation (evacuation routes, meeting places, means of communication, key contacts, etc.)

Water and food (three days of necessary food supplies for evacuation, as well as for two weeks if staying at home, but some prepper groups advocate the need to create larger reserves for longer periods)

Shelter (weekend house, cabin, tent, improvised shelter away from home…)

Equipment (first aid kit, but also exercises, tools and supplies, mobile phones, batteries, etc.)

Navigation and spatial orientation (basic navigation without electronic aids, advance planning, bringing maps, compasses, and other equipment depending on plans…

Reserve clothing and footwear, depending on the type of disaster or event and plans for each situation

Self-defense and safety (skills and training, types of weapons, safety rules in crisis situations)
Planning and training (making family plans for different types of risks, assigning tasks within the group, training (through games with children), procedures for different types of risks (fire, flood, earthquake).

Of course, there is always someone in every group prone to exaggeration or extremism (in the media, the worst, psycho-pathological cases are often highlighted), but if someone enjoys spending time in nature (like hikers or hunters), while developing survival skills in extreme situations, it seems today like a reasonable, interesting, but also useful hobby. After all, what the media often calls “bushcraft” is actually an old and well-known skill of survival and navigation in nature. If the state cares about crisis situations through the civil protection system, those among us who are well-intentioned, want to help others in distress, and have survival, first aid, or self-defense skills, can contribute to the community in crisis situations.

From publicly available data, it can be perceived that Croatian preppers are more moderate than American ones (whose story was based on a kind of Doomsday cult), not bound by conspiracy theories, political and religious views, but more focused on real, local issues. Although it seems like all security issues today are actually global, our “preppers” are more realistic, aware of the types of risks in their immediate environment, and sometimes based on their own experiences. In future topics, we will describe Croatian prepper experiences firsthand, talk to experts, and select crisis management experiences that are useful for the wider population.

(Photo: Freepik)

Equipment for all types of crisis situations should be planned in advance and placed in a bag (also called Bug out bag) whose contents can be also used as a reserve in all circumstances. Although, until the recent earthquakes in Croatia, the usual idea of an emergency kit was that it was almost unnecessary, very rarely or never used, after all the problems that have arisen recently, we realized that it is a very useful “tool”.

Especially when we realized that emergency situations occur suddenly, without warning, and without enough time to take action before fleeing the dangerous area. In addition, due to increased pace of life, travel, relocation, and similar reasons, it is always useful to have on hand, for example, copies of important documents, spare batteries, and similar things that can be used in everyday circumstances and when there is no danger.

In this section, we will provide descriptions and sometimes tests of different kits and equipment to help in crisis situations…

Contents of the survival kit in case of a disaster:

The kit or bag should contain basic personal documents, items listed in the list, should be of small dimensions, made of waterproof material, and should be kept in a safe and easily accessible place:

  • List of important phone numbers (on paper)
  • First aid kit (make your own kit and see advice HERE)
  • Medications for chronic patients (therapy that you need to take every day)
  • Spare glasses and lenses
  • Money (cash)
  • Copies of all important documents (can also be used in case of loss)
  • Mobile phones and chargers (additional battery for charging, if you have a GPS handheld device or watch with navigation option)
  • Spare keys to the house and car
  • Personal hygiene kit
  • Pen and paper
  • Swiss army knife or hunting knife, multitool, strong adhesive tape, whistle, etc.
  • Matches and lighters
  • Sturdy shoes and spare clothes
  • Flashlight with spare batteries
  • Radio with spare batteries or inductive charging
  • Water in a bottle (consumption of 2 liters per person per day)
  • Canned and non-perishable food (can opener, cutlery)
  • Food and sweets with longer shelf life
  • (Baby food, pet food)
  • (Covers and spare clothes, if possible)
  • (If you have other equipment such as handheld radios, etc.

It is good to prepare in advance for a disaster:

  • Make your own plan for emergency situations. Talk to your family members, agree on how to contact each other in such situations, which way to go, where to meet, and what to do in crisis situations (a list of contacts and important numbers, besides in your phone, it is also good to have it on paper).
  • Inform yourself about plans for disaster situations at your workplace, school, and other institutions that your children attend, and where other household members stay.
  • Determine a meeting place that must be well known and provide safety to all family members.

Various kits and equipment used to help in emergency situations in the household will be described separately:

  • Household medicine cabinet and first aid kit
  • Bag with a complete first aid kit
  • Fire extinguishers (learn how to use them)
  • Smoke and gas sensors (professionally installed)
  • Mobile phones and apps (learn how to send your location, as well as basic crisis communication)
  • Battery chargers, battery packs, solar chargers
  • Handheld flashlights
  • Radio receivers (battery operated or with a hand crank for inductor power)
  • Handheld radios (“walkie-talkies”)
  • Survival navigation kits (compass, maps)
  • GPS navigation equipment (like Garmin, Magellan, etc.)
  • Self-defense equipment (basic martial arts skills, various types of weapons, etc.)