The Head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat, explained what people who receive RO-Alert warnings informing them that they need to evacuate their homes in case of floods should do and what an emergency bag should contain.
„RO-Alert provides recommendations in the message, which are supplemented by what comes from the local authority, from the commune, from the village, from everywhere, where mayors are on alert and their committees or their permanent presence at the town hall is mandatory. In such situations, the population must be prepared in the sense that, if an evacuation message is given, they should be able to evacuate immediately,” Arafat said on Antena3.
According to him, every person who receives an evacuation alert message must have an emergency bag prepared. "To have everything you need in a small bag that you can grab and go, without having to return because you forgot money, forgot medications, forgot something, to have them in a bag and, if the evacuation order really comes, to understand that this is serious," he said.
"The bag must be something that one person can easily carry.
So we are not talking about suitcases here, under no circumstances. We are talking about a bag that should have the essential documents that the population considers they need to have at all times, everyone should put those documents in the bag, money, if they have money at home, they should put it there, medications, and any other items they consider essential, but without being heavy, without being bulky. So, this is important, things that you can grab immediately and go," detailed the head of DSU.
Arafat then emphasized that following the recommendations of the authorities is vital in case of an emergency situation.
"If it says you need to evacuate, then collaborate with the local authority and with state authorities, with the Ministry of Internal Affairs authorities, whether we are talking about firefighters, gendarmerie, police, collaborate with them and do not complicate this situation, because there will be no time for negotiations, for persuasion. If it is said that you need to, it means you need to evacuate," he said.