Emergency Preparedness Week 2026: how your nonprofit stays in touch when mobile and internet fail

Norway’s Emergency Preparedness Week 2026 runs from 26 October to 1 November, and this year’s theme is what happens when mobile networks and the internet stop working. For a nonprofit, it comes down to five steps: a paper contact list, an agreed meeting point, a battery-powered DAB radio tuned to NRK P1, key people on two mobile networks and knowing your municipality’s information point.

The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) publishes no advice written for clubs and associations. So we at OpenInfo have adapted its guidance for households and businesses into a checklist a board can get through in one evening.

What is Emergency Preparedness Week 2026 about?

Emergency Preparedness Week (Egenberedskapsuka) is DSB’s annual campaign to get people ready for a crisis. According to DSB (updated 15 October 2026), this year’s edition is about helping society cope when mobile networks and the internet do not work as normal. It is part of Norway’s Total Defence Year 2026 and opened on Monday with a livestream.

Key facts as of October 2026:

• When: week 44, 26 October–1 November 2026.
• Theme: crisis communication when mobile networks and the internet fail.
• Municipalities: in a 2025 survey, 62 per cent said they had planned alternative ways to reach residents during a prolonged power and telecoms outage. The survey does not show whether those plans have been tested.
• Materials: DSB’s videos, posters and fact sheets are free for voluntary organisations to use, though not commercially.

Why should a small association care?

In a letter published by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security on 12 June 2026, Minister Astri Aas-Hansen calls the voluntary sector “one of our most robust emergency resources”.

In crisis and war, the most valuable thing voluntary organisations can do is carry on with their core work, “maintain their own organisation and preparedness” and offer resources and local knowledge. The minister asks them to consider how they would function if the power goes, “digital services are knocked out” or communication becomes harder.

The letter went to eight national bodies, including Frivillighet Norge, the Norwegian Red Cross and Norwegian People’s Aid, with a request to pass it on. Many local groups have probably never seen it.

How does the board reach members without phones or internet?

The paper list

DSB and the Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) advise everyone to keep a paper list of important numbers in case they need to borrow a phone. For an association, that means a printout with names and numbers for the board, key people and volunteers with set roles. Keep it minimal, store it securely and shred old copies – it contains personal data.

An agreed meeting point

DSB recommends agreeing “where you will meet if you cannot reach each other”. You might decide that the board meets at the clubhouse at 6 pm the day after an outage, or that volunteers gather at the municipal information point.

Two networks and preparedness buddies

According to DSB and Nkom, not everyone loses coverage at once if some people use a different mobile network. Spread your key people across at least two. Wi-Fi calling and messaging apps only help when the mobile network is down but the internet still works.

A preparedness buddy is someone you have agreed to help, or be helped by, in a crisis. DSB itself lists translating and explaining official information as one such task. Associations can set up fixed pairs, prioritising members who are older, live alone or struggle with Norwegian.

Where can you get information when the network is down?

NRK P1 is Norway’s designated emergency broadcast channel – it stays on air even when news sites and public websites are down. DAB radio uses its own broadcast network, so a set running on batteries, solar power or a hand crank works even without internet or mains power.

DSB urges municipalities to set up information points where residents can get updates if electronic communication fails, and to rehearse them this week. Ask your municipality where yours is, and add the address to your paper list.

According to Nkom (5 October 2026), 112 municipalities have reinforced mobile coverage: selected base stations with backup power for up to three days, usually around the town hall. As of October 2026 the scheme does not exist in Oslo or Akershus, so check the list for your area.

What about payments, key people and critical activities?

DSB’s eight preparedness tips for businesses (updated 3 May 2026) apply, the directorate says, “regardless of the organisation’s size and sector”. Three suit associations especially well:

• Prioritise critical activities. What must continue – food distribution, visiting services, children’s activities – and what can wait?
• Secure your people. DSB notes that key people may be called away, for example to the Home Guard or the Civil Defence. Name a deputy for the chair and the treasurer.
• Map your dependencies. Keep physical copies of important documents, and think through what happens if your membership system or online bank is unavailable.

DSB also passes on Norges Bank’s advice to households to keep some cash and at least one physical BankAxept card, because cards stored in phone apps may not work in an emergency. If your café or jumble sale only takes Vipps and cards, keep a simple cash box as plan B.

A checklist for the board

1. Print an up-to-date paper list of the board, key people and volunteers with set roles.
2. Agree a fixed meeting place and time in case nobody can get through.
3. Spread key people across at least two mobile networks.
4. Keep a battery-powered DAB radio, spare batteries and a charged power bank on the premises.
5. Locate your municipal information point and check whether reinforced coverage exists.
6. Set up preparedness buddy pairs for members who need extra support.
7. Decide which activities must continue, and make a plan B for payments.
8. Hold one phone-free board hour using a ready-made DSB discussion exercise.
9. Ask the municipality whether your association can join its emergency preparedness council.

Where can associations make the biggest difference?

DSB’s evaluation of Emergency Preparedness Week 2025 shows a clear gap: 93 per cent said they knew the official preparedness advice, but only 21 per cent had worked with others to get better prepared. Working together is exactly what associations do well.

The minister’s letter also calls for closer cooperation with municipalities, emergency services and other preparedness actors. OpenInfo’s partner matching can help you find local groups to share equipment, premises and plans with.

Crises also breed fake messages. Agree that important notices will only come through channels your members already know, as we described in our piece on protecting vulnerable members from AI-powered fraud.

One more deadline: the Storting’s Standing Committee on Family and Cultural Affairs accepts written submissions on the 2027 state budget until noon today, Wednesday 28 October – see our overview of Norway’s 2027 budget for charities. To swap experience with other organisations, OpenInfo membership is a way into the network.

Frequently asked questions

What is the theme of Emergency Preparedness Week 2026?

It is about coping when mobile networks and the internet fail. The week runs from 26 October to 1 November 2026.

What should a nonprofit do if mobile networks and the internet go down?

Use your paper list, go to the agreed meeting point and listen to NRK P1 on a battery-powered DAB radio. Visit the municipal information point for official updates.

What role do voluntary organisations play in Norway’s total defence?

According to the minister’s June 2026 letter, the key contribution is to keep doing their core work, keep the organisation running and offer resources and local knowledge.

Does DSB’s advice for businesses apply to associations?

DSB says its eight tips apply regardless of size and sector. There is no separate DSB advice for associations, so the checklist above is our adaptation.