Alertswiss: new ways to alert and inform

An earthquake, landslides and other natural disasters, a fire in a chemical plant, a serious train accident, a terrorist attack, even a "dirty bomb": disasters can occur at any time and without notice. In any case, an essential task in coping is the rapid and targeted alerting as well as the appropriate information of the population, in particular the communication of behavioral instructions.

Additional alerting channels meet new needs

Until now, Switzerland has had a nationwide alerting system with sirens and subsequent information on the radios that require broadcasting, according to the Federal Office for Civil Protection (Babs) writes. The current system for alerting and informing the population functions well and safely. However, it no longer fully meets today's needs (cf. also message from August 2017): A large part of the population primarily uses mobile means of communication in everyday life. Information can be disseminated more and more quickly via the Internet. Part of the population no longer knows what to do in the event of a siren alarm, as the Babs points out. People with a hearing impairment are also excluded from the previous system with acoustic media. They are entitled to an alerting and information system that is also directly accessible to them.

Alertswiss: the direct line

In the event of disasters and emergencies, the authorities can now also alert and inform the population via digital channels. For this purpose, they have been using the digital channels operated by the Federal Office for Civil Protection since 2015. Alertswiss-Communication channels: Alerts are distributed as push messages via the Alertswiss app on smartphones and as online publications on the Alertswiss website.

According to Babs, the publication of alert messages on these new channels occurs simultaneously with the triggering of the siren alarm. The Alertswiss channels would also expand the tools and capabilities of the authorities in the area of event communication: After an alert, they can provide further information on the acute event through the same channels. In addition, they can also disseminate warnings and further information without simultaneously triggering a siren alarm.

Cooperation between the Confederation and the cantons as a key factor

The further development of the alerting and information system with the new Alertswiss channels is a unified solution: all cantons and the Principality of Liechtenstein are involved. Close cooperation between the federal government and the cantons in the development and future operation of the system is the key to its successful use, according to Babs. For most incidents, the responsibility for alerting and informing the population lies at the cantonal or local level. In concrete terms, the triggering of an alarm and the corresponding information of the population usually takes place in an operations center of the cantonal police. At the federal level, the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) at the Federal Office for Civil Protection can disseminate alerts and other information.

According to Babs, the entire process for alerting and informing the population has been brought together in one integral system. Technically, the new Alertswiss channels are connected to the high-security siren alerting system that has been in place since 2012. Polyalert connected. The information is thus entered at a single terminal and all output channels are based on the same input. This saves valuable time in the event of an incident.

The Alertswiss app is available free of charge for Android and iOS systems. It can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.