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Will there be a war?

How to respond to this question increasingly asked by concerned family members?

In the current global situation, with 190 armed conflicts ongoing and thousands dead or wounded worldwide (you can see detailed data HERE in a study published under the UCDP conflict research program), it’s not easy to provide an answer that won’t cause panic or depression. Due to the overwhelming wave of bad news, people are becoming more anxious and are starting to ask themselves and their families a key question – what should we do if the worst happens?

Although daily sensationalist news often turns out to be false, and the media frequently predicts the end of the world (if not from war, then from storms, disease, or some other disaster), which we somehow manage to survive – we should never underestimate human stupidity and destructiveness. Therefore, without panic, we should consider potential dangers and do everything we can to reduce the impact of crisis situations. Most importantly – try to follow information from reliable sources, without sensationalism or planted fake news. You can read more about that HERE.

As for war, unfortunately, we have experience and don’t need anyone to explain how people are capable of the worst atrocities (a term that is, at times, actually insulting to animals). Still, aside from the immediate danger of war, there are many associated risks such as disruptions in the supply of food, energy, transportation issues, and similar problems that affect millions of people.

It is also clear that in wartime conflicts, targets are not chosen carefully – civilians are deliberately and massively killed, and civilian infrastructure is destroyed. That too must be taken into account when planning protective measures.

As always in worst-case scenarios, important decisions must be made quickly: Should we stay or leave? When and where should we evacuate the children? Do we have enough food and water? These are questions we must prepare for in advance – assess the risks, agree on details within the family, and ensure we avoid creating panic, especially when informing children about such topics in an age-appropriate way.

> MILITARY SERVICE
One way to protect ourselves in wartime circumstances is to take up arms and defend ourselves. It’s clear that no sane person wants to send their children to “learn how to kill,” but we’re happy to send them to a self-defense course in case they are attacked. So it should be clear that military service can also be useful – if it is organized properly.

All of us who served in the military in the former state often considered our time in the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) as the most useless part of our lives, convinced we had learned nothing of value. However, as outdated and mentally numbing as the training was, we were wrong. Some of the skills we learned later helped us aid people in distress and defend ourselves against aggression.

Still, it’s important to understand that assessing the safety of your family isn’t only about worst-case war scenarios.

> COTTAGE / HOLIDAY HOME
After the pandemic and earthquakes, it became clear that a weekend house, coastal cottage, or family home in the countryside can serve as a practical shelter for a few days during a crisis. Thinking about having enough food and drinking water at such locations isn’t just a concern for preppers or those expecting doomsday. Talk to your family and friends about alternative accommodation options if you don’t have one of your own.

> SUPPLY
You can read more on our website about the challenges of supply chains in crisis situations. Many well-organized Western countries have detailed guidelines for citizens – how to prepare for survival in emergencies, including wartime conditions. Consider creating a small stockpile of food and water for a few days.

> TRANSPORT
In crisis situations, make sure you have a full fuel tank in case evacuation becomes necessary, stay up to date on traffic conditions (via HAK info, mobile traffic apps), and prepare a bag with essential gear. You can read more about this HERE.

> INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
Real-time information about a crisis is essential for making decisions. Today, modern systems provide information not only through the internet, radio, and TV, but also via a wide variety of mobile apps – it’s important to test these and learn how to use them.

Of course, don’t forget about potential problems with mobile network availability or internet access. Be ready to rely on a radio receiver – even amateur (HAM) radios – for critical information.

> SHELTERS
During the Homeland War, we learned the importance of shelters. It’s a good idea to check with local authorities where the shelters are located, what condition they’re in, or what you can do to improve protective measures in your own home. It’s also an opportunity to evaluate your home’s safety not just for wartime, but for other disasters such as natural catastrophes, fires, floods, lightning strikes, or access for emergency vehicles.
It’s also wise to read up on survival equipment and procedures – there are plenty of resources available online, including on our own website HERE.

In any case, whatever happens – don’t panic. Prepare reasonably and according to your capabilities, keeping in mind that the worst may never come.

(Illustration: Freepik)

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Ready for anything

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)

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A-bomb in my neighborhood

Recently, after the insane threats of nuclear weapons from Russia, posters have appeared in public places in American cities with instructions in case of radiation hazard.

Although people are already driven crazy by constant, increasingly worse news that is often exaggerated, even the worst-case scenarios should simply be considered as service information. If we know what kind of disasters can happen to us in life, it doesn’t mean we have to constantly think about them. But it’s important, for example, to know the number for emergency services and how to provide first aid to our loved ones until professional rescuers arrive.

It is understood that people in our country, which not so long ago experienced all the horrors of war, are sensitive to the possibility of aggression. But then we learned that shelters are not an unnecessary investment that interests only some preppers (prepper – a person who intensively prepares for an imminent cataclysm or the collapse of civilization, and plans a way of survival), but a useful thing that can save our lives.

The danger of radiation is a good practical example of the importance of the proper application of the warning system. If, for example, danger sirens start wailing in the middle of the night, this does not mean that you should immediately run out of the house and see what is happening, but first get well informed through verified sources and credible media – what the danger is and what we should do. The Americans thus wrote three short instructions to their citizens on posters:

In case of radiation hazard:

  1. Take shelter indoors.
  2. Stay inside.
  3. Listen to official information.

It is therefore clear that in the event of a fire, one should quickly leave the room, in the event of radiation, enter the house, and in the event of an earthquake, first take shelter where we are, and then go outside, being careful of possible collapse. It’s not bad to rehearse such scenarios or at least talk about them with your housemates.

It is also worth noting that every first Saturday of the month at noon in Croatia, a test of the alarm system is held. For example, it would be good for visitors to Zagreb to know that at noon when the cannon is fired on the famous Lotrscak tower and then the sirens sound – they should not immediately rush to the shelters.

In addition to panic, it is even more dangerous to take medicines such as tablets of stable iodine (potassium iodide) on your own, as after the Russian announcement of the possible use of atomic weapons there was a rush to pharmacies in our country and looking for pills. Namely, they should be taken exclusively according to the instructions of the doctor or competent institutions and only in certain cases (depending on the distance from the radiation source, the age of the patient, contraindications and other details), because otherwise they can cause serious health problems.

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