This Thursday, November 20, 2025, the State is launching online ‘All Responsible’, the All Responsible guide of 27 pages designed by Matignon and the SGDSN to help everyone, everywhere in France, face crises. Disaster preparedness: 72 hours of autonomy, adopting the right reflexes (flood, outage, fire, cyber attack) and encouraging citizen engagement. A resilience guide for France that is straightforward, without alarmism.
A brief, concrete manual designed for the general public
The government is publishing ‘All Responsible’, a government crisis manual (27 pages). It aims to provide everyone with simple actions and common guidelines to act in an emergency. The General Secretariat for Defense and National Security (SGDSN)) drafted this document. It is under the authority of Matignon. It follows a logic of prevention and national resilience approach rather than alarm. The booklet includes three sections: ‘Well Prepared’, ‘Well Protected’, ‘All Engaged’. Its distribution is 100% online, via State and prefecture websites.
Central message: Every citizen is an actor in their own security and that of the Nation. The goal is not to fuel anxiety, but to reduce household vulnerability during the first 72 hours. This period is often the most tense after a shock.
The goal: three days of realistic autonomy
The guide suggests anticipating three days without external aid. Hence the idea of a 72-hour emergency kit ready to be taken or used at home. It is not a technical equipment, but a government survival kit for 72 hours. It is intended for situations of power outages. This also includes interruptions of networks, water, or transportation. The principle: prepare in advance, store within reach, check regularly (at least once a year), replace what expires.
How to prepare your 72-hour emergency kit in 10 points
- Drinking water: plan a reference volume of 6 liters per person (small bottles easy to carry).
- Non-perishable food not requiring cooking (canned goods, ready meals, baby food, and pet food).
- First aid kit and essential medications.
- Emergency kit essentials: battery-powered radio and flashlight (with spare batteries).
- Warm clothing and survival blanket.
- Cash in small denominations.
- Photocopies of essential documents in a waterproof pouch (identity, insurance, prescriptions).
- Spare keys, phone charger, and backup glasses.
- Basic tools (multifunction knife, can opener).
- Some games to pass the time, especially with children.
Remember: place the evacuation bag in an accessible location. Avoid basements prone to flooding and regularly check its contents.
If the water rises: flood reflexes
What the guide says
In case of flooding or submersion, stay sheltered. Also, do not take your car and do not go down to parking lots or basements. Turn off electricity if water enters your home and follow the authorities’ instructions.
Three reflexes to remember
- Stay informed: listen to the radio and follow prefectural instructions.
- Move to higher ground: reach the upper floor or a nearby high point.
- Avoid roads: do not take submerged roads, even a few centimeters.
If the fire approaches: forest and brush fires
What the guide says
If a fire threatens, shelter in a building and block vents and door bottoms. Then, move curtains and furniture away from windows. Finally, stay tuned to instructions. If you are outside, move away from edges, do not drive on a smoky road.
Three reflexes to remember
- Shelter in place: doors and windows closed.
- Limit air: seal air entries.
- Stay reachable: keep a battery-powered radio ready.
If a nuclear accident occurs
What the guide says
The watchword is confinement: stay indoors, close windows and vents, turn off ventilation. Iodine intake is only done on the prefect’s instruction. Prepare to hold out for several hours without going out and follow official messages.
Three reflexes to remember
- Confine immediately and limit incoming air.
- Wait for prefectural instructions before taking any medication.
- Stay informed through public channels (radio, official sites).
If the network fails: electricity, telecoms, transportation
What the guide says
Prepare for outages: power cuts, heating off, phone and internet networks down, electronic payments unavailable, transportation disrupted. The 72-hour emergency kit is precisely to get through this phase.
Three reflexes to remember
- Energy: battery-powered lamps, charged batteries, conserve usage.
- Payment: cash available.
- Contacts: family emergency plan and predefined meeting point on a paper list of useful numbers.
If information goes awry: rumors, misinformation, deepfakes
What the guide says
Crises often come with disinformation and cyberattacks. The manual recommends basic computer hygiene: strong passwords, updates, and caution with links. Moreover, it invites to uncover manipulations by checking the source and cross-referencing information. Finally, it advises relying on official channels. Also, be wary of AI-manipulated videos.
Three reflexes to remember
- Verify the sender of a message before sharing.
- Cross-check with a public source (prefecture, ministry, town hall).
- Report suspicious content on the concerned platform.
Population alert: what the sirens mean
France has a population alert system. The alert signal consists of three sequences of 1 minute 41 seconds separated by 5 seconds of silence. It can be relayed by smartphone notifications and audiovisual media. The end of alert is announced by a continuous signal of 30 seconds.
Three reflexes to remember
- Enter, confine, listen to the radio.
- Follow only official instructions.
- Do not clog emergency lines if you are not in immediate danger.
‘All Engaged’: reserves, volunteering, local mutual aid
Beyond individual actions, the guide promotes citizen engagement. It lists ways to join reserves (Civil Security, police, gendarmerie, military, healthcare) and approved associations. Announced goal: 1 reservist for every 2 active military personnel by 2035. The challenge: relieve emergency services in the first hours, accelerate the return to normal, and strengthen local cohesion.
Three reflexes to remember
- Identify a nearby structure (prefecture, town hall, association).
- Train in life-saving actions and first aid.
- Know your neighbors: create a mutual aid network in the building or street.
Why now?
The government places resilience at the heart of the national security strategy. Lessons from lockdowns, increasing climatic hazards (floods, forest fires), risk of pandemics, geopolitical tensions, and increased exposure to cyber threats: these are the scenarios this manual aims to address without hierarchy or dramatization. The idea: prepare without panicking, clarify instructions, avoid improvisations.
Beyond the official discourse, the guide nevertheless provokes mixed reactions. Risk management specialists welcome "a useful step in collective education." However, they point out the risk of placing too much responsibility on the most vulnerable households. Indeed, these households lack the space or budget to build a 72-hour stock. Rescue unions and some grassroots associations highlight an important point. Indeed, individual preparation cannot compensate for weakened public services. This concerns hospitals, firefighters, and the power grid. Moreover, legal experts question the boundary between a culture of resilience and shifting the burden to the citizen. The government, for its part, assumes this shift, believing that "the State cannot do everything, but it can better equip everyone."
Reader service: reflex sheets by situation
Flood
- What the guide says: stay sheltered, do not take your car, do not go down to the basement.
- 3 reflexes: move to an upper floor, turn off electricity if necessary, listen to the radio.
Forest fire
- What the guide says: shelter in a building, block vents and door bottoms.
- 3 reflexes: limit air, stay reachable, anticipate evacuation on order.
Nuclear accident
- What the guide says: confinement, no iodine without prefectural instruction.
- 3 reflexes: turn off ventilation, listen to the radio, prepare to hold out for several hours.
Prolonged outages and failures
- What the guide says: prepare for disruptions (energy, networks, payments, transportation).
- 3 reflexes: have cash, keep an autonomous light source, set a rally point.
Terrorist or health threats
- What the guide says: follow official instructions, avoid rumors.
- 3 reflexes: stay informed, limit movements, keep medications.
Cyber and misinformation
- What the guide says: practice digital hygiene and verify sources.
- 3 reflexes: update devices, enable two-factor authentication, report misleading content.
To go further: public channels to know
- SGDSN: missions and publications (strategic framework, resilience).
- Civil Security: operation of sirens and alert instructions.
- France public services: prefectural and local authority relay.
Final emergency kit checklist
At home
- Survival kit ready (72 h): water, food, papers, flashlight, radio, medications.
- Accessible bag, no storage in exposed basement.
- Check the kit at least once a year.
Online
- Official sites bookmarked.
- Two-factor authentication enabled, updates done.
- Reflex: do not share unverified information.
Engaging
- Contact details of local reserves and associations.
- Training in life-saving actions.
- Mutual aid network with neighbors and relatives.