Former British Army Colonel Chris Gibson MBE shares three practical steps for emergency preparedness, focused on community resilience rather than panic buying or building bunkers
Despite today's geopolitical landscape evolving at breakneck speed and growing increasingly volatile - from Middle Eastern conflict to continuing disputes worldwide - an expert cautions the most damaging response to potential threats is succumbing to panic.
According to former British Army Colonel Chris Gibson MBE, fear can prove actively detrimental. Drawing upon 34 years of frontline expertise, including Special Forces missions in Beirut, Sarajevo and Sierra Leone, alongside leadership positions supporting governments during emergencies like the Sri Lanka tsunami and the Ebola crisis in West Africa, Gibson emphasises that focusing on practical preparedness should be the priority. He stresses that 'preparation is not about building a bunker. It's about building personal and community resilience.' Here are the three measures he recommends civilians adopt to ready themselves for emergencies, without panic, reports the Mirror US . Gibson states that, from his experience, community represents the most undervalued mechanism for keeping people safe. 'Know your neighbours. In Sierra Leone during the period of civil unrest, community was everything,' he explains. 'In a crisis, your immediate community is your strongest asset. 'Simple acts like knowing your neighbours' phone numbers or if an elderly person nearby needs support builds a resilience that no government can provide.' Gibson suggests that rather than constructing a physical shelter at this early stage, it remains crucial to keep your family well-informed. 'Have a family plan: do you have a designated place to meet if communication fails?' he asks. 'Do you have a small grab-bag with essential documents, medication, and supplies for 48–72 hours? 'This isn't about fear, but about self-sufficiency. It frees up emergency services to help those in acute need.' Finally, he clarifies that the threat to civilians is likely not physical, but financial. 'Economic shocks often accompany global instability,' he says. 'Where possible, having a small financial cushion is a powerful form of personal preparedness.' The risks for people in the West are indirect, he stresses, rather than immediate. 'The physical danger to a person going about their daily life in Kansas or Kent remains statistically very low. The most immediate impact for citizens will likely be economic, not physical. 'Focus on what you can control,' he advises. 'In any crisis - whether in a warzone or a boardroom - high-performing teams focus on their immediate mission and look after each other.' Regarding how people should behave in relation to their everyday life, he suggests we 'should do the same. Support local businesses, check in on your community, and engage with your civic duties. 'This sense of purpose and agency is the antidote to the helplessness that global conflicts can generate. In a crisis, fear spreads faster than any virus or conflict. The antidote is not reassurance - it is preparation.'
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