Abstract
European security policy increasingly relies on comprehensive defence and responsibilisation, expecting households to follow contingency protocols and sustain themselves for at least 72 hours. Using 2025 urban survey data from Helsinki (Finland), Riga (Latvia) and the German cities of Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, this article shows that urban populations are underprepared. Further, we examine whether threat salience, identifying a hazard as a personal concern, translates into threat‑appropriate preparedness. We assess both material and cognitive indicators. Findings show a persistent perception–action gap across all sites. Helsinki exhibits comparatively higher cognitive awareness but low material readiness; Riga and the German cities display even weaker alignment across cognitive and material domains. Among respondents worried about specific hazards, preparedness does not improve for recommended actions. We argue that responsibilisation is under‑communicated and under‑operationalised for urban realities even in high responsibilisation models like Finland. Meeting EU/NATO ambitions requires clear thresholds, local scaffolding and behaviourally savvy interventions that make preparedness feasible within the everyday constraints of city life.