Dutch municipalities prepare emergency support points for crises: what you need to know
Municipalities across the Netherlands are setting up emergency support points to assist residents during prolonged crises like power outages. These locations will provide critical help, especially for those dependent on medical equipment or unable to contact emergency services. Your input could shape how these points operate.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Pilot Municipality | Aalten (Gelderland) |
| Pilot Location | De Kiem building in Dinxperlo |
| Purpose | Emergency assistance during prolonged crises (e.g., power outages) |
| Target Group | Residents needing urgent help, especially medically dependent individuals |
| Cross-Border Collaboration | Testing cooperation with German emergency support points |
| National Campaign | Aligns with 'Denk Vooruit' (Think Ahead) for 72-hour self-sufficiency |
| Resident Involvement | Survey upcoming; ideas can be shared via gemeente@aalten.nl |
Municipalities in the Netherlands are responsible for local emergency preparedness, including setting up infrastructure like emergency support points. The national government provides guidelines and frameworks, such as the 'Denk Vooruit' campaign, to ensure consistency and readiness across regions.
Read the full translated article below
Preparation of emergency support points in the municipality
All municipalities in the Netherlands will be setting up emergency support points in the coming years. These are locations where residents can go during a major and prolonged emergency situation if they urgently need assistance and cannot arrange it themselves, for example due to medical dependence on electricity or if no contact can be made with emergency services.
To prepare for this, pilots are being conducted across the country. Within the Safety Region North and East Gelderland, four municipalities are each investigating what is needed to ensure an emergency support point functions properly at their own location. This includes matters such as organization, facilities, and collaboration with partners, as well as how residents are informed.
De Kiem in Dinxperlo as a pilot emergency support point
The municipality of Aalten is one of the pilot municipalities and has identified the De Kiem building in Dinxperlo as a potential pilot emergency support point. The choice of Aalten as a pilot municipality and De Kiem as an emergency support point is linked to our location on the border. On the German side, several emergency support points have already been established. In this pilot, we are examining how an emergency support point can work in practice, what is required for this, and whether cross-border collaboration is possible. The experiences gained from the emergency support point De Kiem will be used to properly set up emergency support points at other locations within our own municipality. Our experiences with cross-border collaboration and the joint use of emergency support points by Dutch and German residents are also valuable for other border municipalities.
What is an emergency support point?
An emergency support point is a location where residents can go during a major and prolonged emergency situation if they urgently need assistance and cannot arrange a solution themselves. At an emergency support point, residents can receive information about the situation and what they can do. In emergencies, contact can also be made with emergency services such as the police, fire department, and ambulance. Sometimes limited support is also possible, for example if people depend on electricity for medical equipment or if medication needs to be kept cool. An emergency support point is explicitly not a location for shelter or long-term accommodation, nor is it a place where food or water is distributed or where phones or laptops can be charged.
Why is this necessary?
The development of emergency support points is about preparing for possible emergency situations. Consider disruptions to critical services, such as large-scale power outages or failures of digital systems. These are situations that can have a major impact on daily life. That is why municipalities and the national government are working on measures to prepare for this and ensure that there is a recognizable and accessible location for residents in an emergency. The development of emergency support points aligns with the national "Denk Vooruit" (Think Ahead) campaign, which encourages residents to consider their own preparedness for emergency situations and what they need to survive for at least 72 hours without basic services.
Join us in thinking about this
The municipality of Aalten would like to involve residents in the setup of emergency support points. What do they expect from such a location in an emergency? And what information or support would they need? At a later stage, the municipality will launch a survey among residents. In this survey, we will ask about expectations and ideas. The results will be used to further develop the setup of emergency support points.
As soon as the survey begins, we will inform residents through our usual channels about how they can participate.
Ideas about the setup of emergency support points can also be shared now via gemeente@aalten.nl under the subject line ‘noodsteunpunten’.