National and local preparedness
Norway is facing increasing challenges in the area of societal security, where the right expertise and coordinated efforts are crucial to protect life, health and critical infrastructure.
To meet today's and tomorrow's crises, NITO requires a national initiative that strengthens blood preparedness, the health sector, water and wastewater infrastructure and military preparedness. Norway must have sufficient expertise to safeguard life, health and infrastructure – also in crises. The authorities must ensure that we do not lack expertise that is important for our societal security and emergency preparedness.
NITO believes that:
- Norway must have a national plan for blood preparedness.
- Binding, national plans are drawn up for education, recruitment and retention of competence in the health sector.
- The water and wastewater sector will be strengthened through national efforts for recruitment, investment and innovation.
When preparedness fails, the consequences can be catastrophic. In order to be equipped for future crises, Norway must have enough professionals with the right expertise – both in the health sector and in the water and wastewater sector. Today, there are serious shortcomings in both areas.
Stronger preparedness through expertise and coordination
Expertise saves lives – even in crises. Norway is vulnerable when there is a shortage of professionals in critical sectors such as health and water and sewerage.
Blood preparedness
Norway still has no national plan for blood preparedness. NITO believes there is a need to:
- prepare a national plan for blood preparedness
- establish a national blood donor register
- Investing resources in the recruitment of blood donors
- introduce contingency rules for blood donation in the event of crises
Competence in the health sector
Everyday preparedness is crisis preparedness. The health sector lacks personnel with the right skills, and working conditions make it difficult to retain those who are there. This weakens both the daily service and preparedness in crises.
NITO believes that:
- A national plan is needed for the recruitment and retention of technologists and engineers in the health sector
- Good basic staffing and expertise are a prerequisite for emergency preparedness
- Everyday work must function for the system to function in a crisis
Water and sewerage: Critical infrastructure
Many municipalities lack engineers with water and wastewater expertise, but at the same time, old pipes, leaks and climate change threaten our most basic emergency preparedness – safe access to water and wastewater management.
NITO believes that:
- More engineering study places must be created in water and sewerage
- The municipalities must receive support schemes for upgrading projects
- Changes to the self-cost principle must be considered to ensure innovation
- Larger units must be considered to extract economies of scale
Military preparedness and resilience
The security of its citizens is one of the most important tasks of the state. The geopolitical situation, a changing threat landscape and an ever-changing society require the authorities to take effective action. In the future, there will be a need to strengthen both civilian and military preparedness and security work.
NITO believes that:
- The authorities must ensure a comprehensive overview and coordinated division of responsibilities in order to manage Norwegian security and emergency preparedness
- The authorities must ensure that we have the expertise and capacity we need for our societal security and emergency preparedness – short-term and long-term
Read more: NITO's policy booklet 2024-2027
Questions & Answers
Hva mener NITO med «kompetanse» i beredskapssammenheng?
Vi mener at det må være nok fagfolk med riktig utdanning, trening og rammer til å håndtere både det daglige, for å kunne være i stand til å takle krisesituasjoner.
Hvilken rolle spiller teknologer og ingeniører i beredskapsarbeidet?
En helt sentral rolle. Teknologisk kompetanse er avgjørende både for sikkerhetsvurderinger, forsvarsteknologi og drift av kritisk infrastruktur. Derfor må fagfolk involveres og lyttes til.
Hva gjør NITO konkret for å påvirke dette?
Vi møter og har kontakt med politikere, andre beslutningstakere, embetsverk og presse både nasjonalt og lokalt. Vi gir innspill til politiske prosesser, og deltar i høringer og utvikler faglige rapporter. I tillegg bistår vi tillitsvalgte i deres samfunnspolitiske engasjement.
