Berlin aims to boost civil defence, tells Germans to prep for crisis

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has called for strengthening Germany’s civil protection systems in response to changing threat landscapes – and urged citizens to prepare themselves for potential disaster scenarios.

The country cannot just focus on “military security” but also “civil defence and population protection,” he said on Saturday in the northern city of Rostock, where Civil Protection Day was being marked by the government.

The federal government is working with the 16 states to assess the availability of shelters across the country, the minister said. He noted that many shelters had been dismantled in past decades – a decision now being reassessed by Berlin.

Are Germans prepared?

Dobrindt also stressed that citizens must take responsibility for their own emergency preparedness, such as stockpiling food and water.

The minister mentioned that he has a hand-crank radio at home. “I also have a crank-powered flashlight — and even a power bank you can operate manually,” he said.

Ralph Tiesler, president of the Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), echoed the need to view civil and military defence as interconnected.

“By protecting civilian structures and resources, we ensure that the military side of defense can also function,” he said. A resilient society, he added, is key to national preparedness.

Around 40 emergency services organizations — from fire departments to disaster relief agencies — participated in the public event at Rostock’s harbor.