‘Potje Buurt Preppen’

Imagine this: on a cold winter’s day, the power goes out. The heating stops working, you can’t cook, and chances are your phone will run out of battery soon. You don’t know what’s going on. Is it local? Nationwide? A cyberattack? And where on earth is that emergency radio when you actually need it?

One in three people in the Netherlands has an emergency kit at home. But research shows that in a real emergency, your neighbours can make all the difference. They are the ones who might pull you from the rubble, take you to hospital, or check on you when they haven’t seen you for a while. So it is time not only to prepare an emergency kit for ourselves, but to help communities get ready together for a potential crisis.

That is why the Nationaal Klimaat Platform, together with Fontys School of Journalism, developed a game called ‘Potje Buurt Preppen’. Through this game, neighbours work creatively to develop a shared emergency plan. It not only makes for an enjoyable evening, but also helps people learn who they can rely on if things really go wrong.