Oslo to invest 400 million NOK in emergency preparedness

Oslo City Council is proposing a significant increase in emergency preparedness funding in its 2027 budget. Approximately 400 million NOK will be allocated over the next four years to strengthen the city's readiness, with 330 million NOK specifically earmarked for the upgrade and rehabilitation of public bomb shelters.

City Council Leader Eirik Lae Solberg acknowledged that both the municipality and the state have neglected shelter maintenance for decades. The initiative follows warnings from municipal auditors in 2023 regarding the poor condition of existing facilities, some of which could not be prepared within the required 72-hour window.

In addition to physical shelters, the city plans to prioritize 'coverage rooms'—more affordable alternatives located in structures like parking garages. Solberg also announced plans to present a separate case to the city council this autumn regarding crisis preparedness, focusing on information security and IT resilience to ensure communication remains possible if mobile networks or the internet fail.