Since August 28, 2025, every Pole has access to a comprehensive guide for preparing for crisis situations. The Safety Guide is a joint initiative of the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, and the Government Security Centre.
What’s Most Important in the Safety Guide?
Checklists and Practical Compilations
- Food and water supplies – detailed guidelines on how much and what to store
- First aid kit – complete list of essential medicines and materials
- Emergency equipment – flashlights, radio, batteries and other key items
- Personal documents – which documents to secure and how to store them
Emergency Plans for the Family
- Meeting places – where to meet with family in case of separation
- Emergency contacts – how to maintain communication during a crisis
- Evacuation scenarios – different options for leaving home
- Family member roles – who is responsible for what in a crisis situation
What Situations Does the Guide Cover?
Most Common Daily Threats:
- Floods and flooding
- Forest and building fires
- Storms and hurricanes
- Power and internet outages
Specialised Threats:
- Cyberattacks and disinformation
- Infrastructure crises
- Military situations
- Terrorist attacks
Document Structure – What You’ll Find Where?
The Safety Guide consists of three main parts: Introduction, Preparation and Response.
Introduction and Preparation Section:
Among other things, you’ll find here:
- Prepare yourself and your loved ones – basics of family planning
- People needing special help – how to care for the most vulnerable
- Take care of animals – preparing domestic pets for crisis
- Prepare your surroundings – securing home and neighbourhood
- Crisis plan – creating a comprehensive action plan
Response Section:
Among other things, it includes:
- Alarm signals and warning messages – how to recognise threats
- Evacuation and shelters – when and how to leave home, where to seek protection
- Natural threats – fire, flood, prolonged power outage
- Military and terrorist threats – air attacks, chemical and nuclear threats
- First aid and hygiene – basics of providing help and maintaining health
Why Is It Worth Preparing?
Experiences from recent years show that crises affect us regularly. A year ago, many regions of Poland dealt with floods that forced thousands of people to evacuate. In previous years, we dealt with large forest fires, prolonged power outages, or cyberattacks on public institutions.
The guide shows that even small, simple actions at home can have enormous significance in a moment of crisis. Proper preparation can mean the difference between safety and disaster.
Where to Download the Safety Guide?
Online Availability:
- Website: www.poradnikbezpieczenstwa.gov.pl
- PDF format for download to device
- Ability to print your own copy
Physical Distribution:
- Planned delivery to all households in Poland
- Copies in offices and public institutions
International Context
Poland is not the first country to prepare such a guide for citizens. Sweden made a similar document available to its residents several months earlier. This is part of a broader European strategy of building social resilience to various threats.
The Safety Guide constitutes a practical complement to the law on population protection and civil defence, which came into force on January 1, 2025. The law created a legal framework, and the guide provides concrete tools for citizens.
Key Message
Security is everyone’s responsibility. Individual and family preparation translates into the resilience of the entire society. The Safety Guide is not intended to frighten, but to practically prepare for various scenarios – from everyday failures to extreme situations.
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