Civil protection organizations improve their preparedness for armed conflicts
The cantonal heads of civil protection and the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP) met on September 10 and 11 in Schwarzenburg (BE) for the second conference of the year 2025. The focus was once again on arrangements in the event of an armed conflict, this time from the perspective of civil and military cooperation. The participants also set the course for a new civil protection strategy and exchanged views on the status of ongoing work.
Pascal Gertschen
Representatives of the cantons and the FOCP met in Schwarzenburg (BE) at the second conference of the year for heads of office (KdA), which was chaired by Michaela Schärer, Director of the FOCP. The event offered the cantonal heads of office responsible for civil protection the opportunity to exchange experiences and deepen their knowledge on important topics from their area of activity.
The case of armed conflict
Once again, the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine made up a large part of the exchange. The "Civil protection in armed conflict" project was also an important item on the agenda. As the involvement of the cantons in this work is of great importance, the first day of the conference was entirely dedicated to this topic.
Cooperation between civilian and military actors was the subject of a presentation in the plenary session and in group work. In this cooperation, civilian factors are integrated into military processes. This creates a structured relationship in which the army is supported in the defense of the territory, the population and the state.
The conference then addressed the occupancy strategy for underground shelters and the need for special equipment for civil protection personnel in the event of armed conflict.
Civil protection strategy
The second day began with work on a new strategy for civil protection in Switzerland. This is based on the existing strategic documents and should build on them. The aim is to define an overarching vision, a mission and strategic thrusts that anchor all current and future measures in a common and sustainable framework for the players in civil protection (police, fire department, health services, technical services and civil defense).
A presentation was then given on the topic of emergency meeting points, which the municipalities and cantons set up as contact points for crisis situations. Finally, the participants had the opportunity to discuss other important and current civil protection and civil defense issues.
Source: FOCP
