More than 200 people participated when the Emergency Preparedness Conference (Beredskapskonferansen) was held for the 20th time in early June. “This shows that the need to meet, get to know each other, and learn from one another is more important than ever,” says Ole Jacob Haug, chair of the program committee and Managing Director of OFFB.
The Emergency Preparedness Conference is a collaboration between the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the Ocean Industry Authority, OFFB, and the trade union Styrke. It brings together professionals and decision-makers from the private and public sectors, academia, professional organizations, the police, and the armed forces from across the country.
As tradition dictates, the conference opened with an emergency preparedness debate. This year’s discussion focused on the Total Preparedness Year 2026, how to move from concept to practice, and how the public sector, private industry, and authorities can work together to achieve long-term goals.
A troubled time
The main themes of the conference itself, held this year at Sola, addressed how to respond to today’s situational landscape in a troubled time. Speakers included representatives from the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), the Norwegian Defence University College, the Norwegian National Security Authority (NSM), Proactima, and Vår Energi.
Furthermore, the Norwegian Coastal Administration and Equinor explored threats to the oil, gas, and maritime industries in greater depth.
On day two, experiences from handling the spill from Njord A and subsequent response operations were presented from the perspectives of Equinor, the Coastal Administration, the drone company Tiepoint, IUA Midt-Norge, and NOFO, as well as work on a business continuity framework at Aker BP.
The conference concluded with a review of the helicopter accident off Øygarden on February 28, 2024, presented by the Aviation Division of the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority, and a status update on helicopters as an emergency preparedness resource in Norway by the trade union Styrke.
We need to meet
In parallel with the Emergency Preparedness Conference, the Information Security Conference was also held. Topics included the threat landscape, fundamental OT security, protection, preparedness, and security culture, incident management, and how to establish security awareness within organizations.
“Emergency preparedness has never been more important. We see it at home, at work, within organizations, and at the highest political levels, both nationally and internationally. The need to meet, share experiences, and learn from one another across industries and sectors has rarely been greater,” says Ole Jacob Haug.
