The European Commission has called on everyone in the EU to be ready for emergencies. Brussels wants every European to have an emergency kit or evacuation backpack at hand.
EU commissioner Hadja Lahbib presented the new guidelines a few days ago at the European Civil Protection Forum. They advise people to keep enough food, water and basic goods at home to last the first 3 days of an emergency. The EU is stepping up preparations because crises are becoming more frequent and more complex.
"Being prepared is not about fear, it is about calm and knowledge," Yanko Todorov, from a company that makes evacuation backpacks, told Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).
He said a backpack should hold a knife, a rope and other items for self-defence. Against bad weather, it needs emergency shelters, sleeping mats and thermal blankets. It should also have long-life water, dehydrated food, radios, small first-aid kits and hygiene items. The company makes backpacks for one person and for whole families, and all the items in them are lightweight.
The dehydrated food comes from a specialist factory in Estonia. Todorov said it has enough nutrients to give a person strength and energy for the whole day. He described it as "dehydrated food that, when you add a little water, becomes almost like cooked food".