Electronic Situation Network System for Disasters

In the event of a widespread power blackout, a major earthquake, flooding or even a terrorist attack, it is essential that all players, such as cantonal command organizations, cantonal police operations centers, critical infrastructure companies or federal agencies, have access to standardized situation information. The current electronic situation systems of various organizations are not or insufficiently networked with each other. In addition, there are organizations that do not have an electronic situation system.

Need for exchange of position data

For this reason, the Federal Council wants to create a joint electronic situation network. This should enable the exchange of data from different electronic situation display systems, which are based on geographic information systems, among other things. In this way, the individual actors will have simple and rapid access to the necessary situation data.

A majority of 18 cantons assigned top priority to such a project of a joint situation network when they were consulted on the "Report on the future of alerting and telecommunications systems for civil protection". In addition, major exercises - such as the Safety Network Exercise 2014 (SVU 14) or the Strategic Command Exercise 2017 (SFU 17) - demonstrated the need for a secure electronic situation network.

Exploiting synergy potential

There is great potential for synergy between the creation of a situation awareness system and the project to replace the Vulpus message switching system: both involve the exchange of data, with the situation awareness system involving the exchange of large volumes of data from different electronic situation reports, and the technically obsolete Vulpus involving the secure exchange of simple text messages. The users of Vulpus are also users of the situation network system. In addition, both applications are to be built on the secure data network, which also offers protection in the event of power failures and cyber attacks.

The Federal Council has therefore instructed the DDPS to pursue the implementation of an electronic situation network system as part of the replacement of the Vulpus message switching system and to include it in the dispatch on an overall credit for the secure data network system. The DDPS is to submit the dispatch, including detailed information on resource requirements, to the Federal Council by the end of 2018. The work under the direction of the Federal Office for Civil Protection (BABS), federal and cantonal agencies are to be involved.

Source: Federal Council