Former FBI agent Chris Swecker has urged Americans to prepare for potential national emergencies, warning that nuclear threats, terrorism, cyberattacks and civil unrest could disrupt everyday life.
Swecker, who spent 24 years with the FBI and previously served as assistant director of its Criminal Investigative Division, told the Daily Mail that Americans should develop emergency plans and maintain essential supplies.
His comments follow calls by governments in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and France for residents to keep several days’ worth of food, medicine and other necessities in preparation for a possible crisis or war.
Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has also urged Americans to prepare for a major emergency, warning that they could have to rely on themselves if normal services become unavailable.
Swecker supported Bongino’s advice, saying Americans would benefit from having an emergency plan.
Swecker Warns of Nuclear Threats From Foreign Countries
Swecker said the United States faced serious national security challenges, including the possibility of nuclear attacks from countries with advanced missile capabilities.
“We’ve got five, maybe six, countries out there that are fully capable of launching nuclear attacks,” he said. “They’re developing more missile technology and more missiles, and building more missiles every day. So there’s an existential threat there.”
He identified North Korea, Russia and China among the countries posing security concerns, while also pointing to vulnerabilities in the American electricity grid and financial system.
Swecker said hostile foreign intelligence services and cybercriminals could exploit weaknesses in critical infrastructure, potentially disrupting financial services and electricity supplies.
He also praised the Pentagon for recognising the need to prepare military installations for emergencies that could interrupt civilian infrastructure.
Former FBI Agent Raises Concerns About Civil Unrest
Swecker also warned that civil unrest, terrorism and organised efforts to destabilise governments could threaten public safety in the United States.
He pointed to demonstrations, riots and looting reported in European cities, including Paris, Rome, Milan, Barcelona and Tirana, the capital of Albania.
According to Swecker, disturbances that initially affect individual communities could spread and create wider problems.
He said the destruction of shops, homes and infrastructure during unrest in France illustrated the potential consequences, although he acknowledged that such incidents were different in scale from a nuclear emergency or a nationwide electricity or financial system collapse.
Swecker also expressed concern about the ability of American authorities to coordinate an effective response to widespread violence.
He said political divisions had made cooperation among federal, state and local agencies more difficult when addressing threats involving civil unrest, domestic terrorism, foreign terrorism and intelligence operations.
Swecker described some individuals sympathetic to terrorist organisations or alternative forms of government as a potential internal security concern.
Pentagon’s FORTRESS Plan Prepares Military Bases for Emergencies
The warnings follow the public release of the Pentagon’s 90-day emergency preparedness plan in late October.
Known as the FORTRESS plan, the initiative outlines measures intended to help US military installations continue operating if civilian infrastructure fails.
The plan includes portable nuclear reactors, large battery systems and independent local electricity grids to maintain power at military bases during blackouts.
It also calls for civilian factories to be prepared to switch to defence production when necessary.
Proposed stockpiles include ammunition, fuel, critical minerals, electronics, spare parts and medical supplies.
Swecker said he was surprised that a plan of this nature had not been publicly disclosed earlier, arguing that the potential consequences of a nuclear attack and other major emergencies required serious preparation.
He said the military needed to ensure its own self-sufficiency because it could be called upon to respond during a national crisis.
FEMA Budget Cuts Raise Questions About Emergency Preparedness
US Air Force veteran Sean Gold has also urged Americans to prepare for emergencies, including attacks and natural disasters.
Gold, who founded the disaster-preparedness website TruePrepper in 2016 after the birth of his first child, told the Daily Mail that reductions in funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had added to concerns about the public’s ability to obtain assistance during a disaster.
He also criticised the agency’s previous management and response times.
Gold argued that people should take preparedness seriously when government agencies are advising residents to maintain emergency supplies.
He said recent concerns about electricity infrastructure, supply chains and cybersecurity demonstrated the importance of planning for disruptions.
Emergency Bags Should Include Food, Water and Medication
Gold said families should prepare evacuation bags containing essential supplies in case they need to leave their homes quickly.
He noted that some emergencies could require residents to evacuate within a short period, potentially leaving little time to collect belongings.
According to Gold and guidance referenced from FEMA, some emergency scenarios could leave people with as little as 10 minutes to evacuate.
Gold recommended that each family member have a bag containing important documents, essential medication, limited personal protective equipment, basic tools, food, water, clothing and shelter supplies.
He said the contents should be adapted to the needs of each individual and the type of emergency they might face.
Experts Outline When to Evacuate or Remain Indoors
Gold said the decision to evacuate or remain at home should depend on the nature of the emergency and the risks associated with each option.
He cited chemical spills and nuclear attacks as examples of situations in which sheltering inside a basement or a suitably prepared fallout shelter could be appropriate, depending on official emergency instructions and local conditions.
However, he said people should leave promptly when remaining at home becomes too dangerous.
Gold also warned that traffic congestion could delay evacuations, particularly in densely populated cities where large numbers of residents might attempt to leave at the same time.
He recommended considering relatives’ or friends’ homes outside urban areas as possible destinations when evacuation is necessary and those locations are safe.
Reflecting on protests he had recently witnessed in Paris, Gold said daytime demonstrations had been relatively calm compared with looting reported at night.
He stressed that emergency decisions should be based on the specific circumstances and reliable information about the threat.
Gold Describes FORTRESS as an Acknowledgement of Existing Vulnerabilities
Gold said the FORTRESS plan appeared to recognise longstanding weaknesses in the systems needed to sustain military operations during emergencies.
He pointed to electricity infrastructure, supply chains and cybersecurity as areas where vulnerabilities had become increasingly apparent.
Gold said the plan’s efforts to address these concerns were encouraging and supported the broader advice that households should prepare for possible disruptions.
The recommendations from Swecker, Bongino and Gold focus on maintaining essential supplies, planning evacuation routes and preparing for situations in which normal public services may be temporarily unavailable.
