France’s official public survival guide - what does it contain and where can you get it?

The French government has released its long-awaited ‘survival guide’ outlining best practice in the event of serious incidents such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and nuclear meltdowns. 

The 26-page guide, entitled ‘Tous Responsables’ (‘Everyone Responsible’) outlines “essential actions, reflexes, and benchmarks for effective response in crisis situations,” said the government in a press release.

“It also highlights the role of every stakeholder – citizens, communities, businesses, and the State - in building a stronger and more united nation where everyone is responsible.” 

The release of the guide comes after a short delay following the original date scheduled for October 13 (France’s National Resilience Day), with the working title of the guide as ‘Tous Résilients’ (‘Everybody Resilient’).

Available to download for free on the official government website, the guide will also be distributed through ministries and local authorities.

Alternatively, a condensed version with no need for download containing direct links to useful sites and basic information is available here.

Split into three sections

Split into three sections – preparation, protection, and engagement – the guide is less a strict set of rules and more a series of advice, reminders, and best practice.

While some sections focus on specific actions to take following a particular emergency (for example what to do in storms, earthquakes, or floods) much of the guide provides general advice. 

This includes, in the preparation section, how to pack an emergency supply kit consisting of food, medical equipment, electrical chargers, and appropriate clothing. 

It also lists the contents required for a ‘72-hour kit’ to be used when without power and unable to leave the home for several days, including items such as medicines, water and non-perishable food, coffee/tea, glasses, sanitation products, torches and batteries, and things to pass the time. 

You should also have items needed for babies (nappies and formula) in case of an emergency.

It asks residents to plan in advance how they will contact family members, asking them to prioritise texting over phone calls to keep lines free and highlighting the possibility that both internet and phone lines may be down, making it harder to communicate.

The protection section contains more specific information on what to do in the face of specific emergencies.

This includes weather events and natural disasters, nuclear and industrial accidents, cyberattacks, health pandemics, and terrorist threats.

It also reminds people to question whether information posted online during such events is legitimate and not ‘fake news’.

Information on France’s emergency sirens and the ‘Fr.alert’ system are also provided to help people remain aware of procedures in the event of an emergency. 

The final engagement section offers practical information on how residents can join up to services such as the army reserves, or join events on National Resilience Day. 

It leaves an empty space for notes of any other information you can think to add that will be useful, as well as other numbers you may need. 

The guide also contains links to useful websites (state forecaster Météo France, links to report cyberattacks, and France’s Red Cross) and useful phone numbers such as for French and European emergency services.