There are currently no plans to build new shelters in Norway
The war in Ukraine caused the whole of Europe to wake up from its slumber. With the sudden awakening also came the shock of how badly prepared the country really is.
Something that received a lot of attention at the beginning of the war was how badly the shelters in Norway were.
It was claimed that it was to get rid of them, and that several of those that existed were unusable.
But what has been done about the shelter problem in the country?
So far nothing.
– But where should you apply for coverage?
On this Wednesday at 12.00, half of Norway’s population could, or at least should, have heard the testing of the flight alert, the so-called typhoons.
The signal sent out means “Important message – seek information”. The typhoons then honk in three series with a one-minute rest between the series. The notice simply means that you must seek information, and can be used by the police and the Norwegian Civil Defense in peacetime as well.
If the sirens warn with short bursts for approximately one minute, it means “Danger of attack – seek cover”. This signal can be used if there is a danger of air strikes or during exercises in war preparedness, writes The Norwegian Civil Defense on its website.
But where to seek cover when the country lacks functioning shelters?
That’s what group leader in the County Council in Trøndelag for the Pensioners’ Party Svein Otto Nilsen asks.
– Shelters are in short supply. It has been many years since Norway, as a state, created shelters that were intended for everyone living in the immediate area that exists. In many places this has not been taken into account in the housing construction in the municipalities, he tells ABC Nyheter.
The construction stoppage since 1998 continues
– Construction of new shelters was temporarily halted by the Storting in 1998, says head of the Civil Defense Øistein Knudsen jr. to ABC News.
– Existing ones must still be paid for and maintained. Those who wish to set up a shelter must apply for this, he adds.
Here, however, the Swedish National Defense has a strict practice for approving such applications. Mainly, they are only approved when the building is fully condemned.
– What are the Civil Defense and the Directorate for Community Security and Preparedness (DSB) doing in the face of the shelter problem?
– In 2022, the government commissioned DSB to carry out a preliminary project to assess and propose criteria for safe places to stay for the population in case of evacuation, says Knudsen.
– The preliminary project was delivered to the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness within the deadline at the turn of the year and provides recommendations on the future design of the civil protection measures, including recommendations relating to the continuation of the existing shelter scheme, he adds.
– Does this mean that there are currently no plans to upgrade or build new shelters, and that the matter is in the hands of the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness?
– The construction moratorium that was set by the Storting in 1998 has not been lifted and DSB is awaiting final processing of the preliminary project in the ministry. The duty to maintain the shelters still applies to owners of both public and private shelters.
The Ministry: Assesses the report
In a statement to ABC Nyheter, Andreas Bondevik at the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness says that they received the report from DSB on 21 December and that it is now being processed by the ministry where they are considering whether it should be followed up further.
ABC Nyheter has asked the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness if it is true that there are no plans to upgrade or build new shelters in Norway.
– For the government, it is important that we have good civil protection measures, and the report forms the basis for making good assessments, says Bondevik.
Working to increase competence
In addition to the preliminary project, the Norwegian Civil Defense has worked to strengthen expertise around the shelters.
– In light of the security policy situation in Europe, the Norwegian Civil Defense has intensified its work to strengthen the competence of the shelter system in the municipalities and among private shelter owners, says Knudsen
– The Norwegian Civil Defense is increasingly also carrying out exercises in shelter service for conscripts in the Norwegian Civil Defense.
– Apart from the preliminary project that was delivered at the end of the year last year, is this the core of what the civil defense is doing in the face of the shelter problem?
– The preliminary project forms the basis for further work with the protection concept for the civilian population, says Knudsen.
According to Knudsen, the Norwegian Civil Defense is experiencing that both municipalities and other owners of shelters are increasingly both ensuring the care of and requesting expertise in the maintenance of the shelters in line with requirements in regulations.
– The Norwegian Civil Defense is also working on an up-to-date teaching plan for safeguarding shelter services for the operation of shelters in use. This will form the basis for planning and exercises.
– It is tragic
Nilsen, who lives in Trondheim, is not impressed.
– There are 911 shelters in Trondheim. DSB has registered 14 public shelters, in addition the municipality is responsible for 80 private shelters in its own buildings such as schools, sports halls and kindergartens. The shelters will have space for 105,504 people. This means that the coverage rate is 51 per cent, claims the Pensioners Party politician.
– It would have been interesting to know if all the shelters are in such a condition that they can receive the residents. How many of the shelters are health-hazardous to stay in, for example? asks the politician.
– It is tragic that shelters have not been built in line with the gigantic housing construction that has been done. What will the rest do? We can run off into the forest, he adds.
Admits varying standards
On The Swedish Defense Forces writes its websites that in Norway there are almost 20,000 shelters with space for just over 2.5 million people. There are approximately 19,000 private rooms with approximately 2.2 million seats and approximately 600 public rooms with 300,000 seats.
Knudsen in the Civil Defense admits that the standard of the shelters varies. This is as a result of them being built under different regulations, and varying degrees of maintenance, he says.
– It is desirable that the shelters are in use, both with regard to good social benefit and that we are better maintained. The peaceful use must not reduce the protection provided by the shelter and must be able to be prepared within 72 hours.
Shelters that are in regular use are generally in better condition than rooms that are only used sporadically or are not in use, explains Knudsen. And adds that normally even shelters that are in poor condition will be able to provide good protection against the usual weapon effects such as shrapnel, explosions and the collapse of overlying buildings.