Management of sirens: Confederation and cantons clarify responsibilities
With a view to a sustainable security infrastructure, the Federal Council wants to work with the cantons to revise the responsibilities and financing models for the management of sirens in greater depth. To this end, the transitional period for the transfer of responsibility to the Confederation will be extended.
Around 5,050 remote-controlled stationary sirens are currently in operation in Switzerland to alert the population. With the total revision of the Federal Civil Protection Act (FCA) on January 1, 2021, responsibility for sirens, including funding, was transferred from the cantons to the federal government. The Confederation and cantons hoped that this would create synergies and economies of scale, for example in the procurement of sirens. Since the revision of the law in 2021, various practical and financial difficulties have come to light. The original deadline of the end of 2024 proved to be insufficient for the implementation of the new responsibilities and a well-founded reassessment of responsibilities.
Continued efficient management of sirens
With the partial revision of the Civil Protection Act, the Federal Council therefore wants to extend the transitional period by four years so that the siren infrastructure can be carefully analyzed and optimized. The sirens should continue to be managed and maintained efficiently in order to guarantee reliable alerting in the event of an emergency.
Increase in maintenance per siren
The dispatch submitted by the Federal Council to Parliament also provides for changes to the compensation system. The lump sum for operation and maintenance will be increased from a maximum of CHF 400 per year and siren to a maximum of CHF 600 in order to take account of inflation and actual costs.
The cantons support this solution and the pragmatic approach. The bill is being dealt with using the urgent procedure. The debate in Parliament is scheduled for the fall and winter sessions of 2024 in order to set the course for efficient and sustainable siren management and pave the way for the necessary adjustments.
Source: FOCP
