Germans should prepare for power cuts: expert

"Anyone who is prepared and can possibly also help their neighbour relieves the burden on us emergency services. We don't have to worry about them," said Robert Schmitt, the head of the Munich-based Medizinische Katastrophen-Hilfswerk, which provides catastrophe response services, reported dpa.

The state cannot be relied on in all situations, Schmitt said, while noting that there was no point reactivating warning systems if people are not told how to respond.

He was speaking at a training course attended by around 80 participants in Tuntenhausen, a small town 45 kilometres south-east from Munich.

His organization has been offering such courses since 2009. Interest has shot up, however, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine this year, according to Schmitt. There is no comparable course being offered nationwide, he says.

Topics at Saturday's course included cooking without electricity, alternative means of sourcing drinking water and stockpiling for emergencies, as well as first aid for injuries and firefighting.