Swiss people trust the TCS more than the army
The first TCS emergency barometer shows that the Swiss rate the work of the emergency services very positively. Around a quarter of those surveyed have experienced an emergency situation themselves or in their immediate vicinity in the last two years. However, only 35% are very confident that they would do the right thing in an emergency. There is also uncertainty about the cost implications of medical services in an emergency.
On the sports field, in traffic or at home - it doesn't take much to get into a medical emergency situation. How you act in the event of an emergency and whether you get into expert hands determines whether the situation turns out to be harmless. The first TCS emergency barometer provides information on the emergency competence of the Swiss and which emergency organizations they trust the most. A good quarter of those surveyed had experienced a medical emergency situation themselves or in their immediate environment in the last two years, although this was significantly less the case for TCS members. These and other findings emerged from the representative survey of 1002 Swiss residents conducted by the research institute gfs.bern between February and March 2024. In addition, 936 TCS members took part in an online survey.
Great confidence in the TCS
Virtually all respondents have confidence in the rescue services during an operation. For 86% of respondents, it also makes no difference whether the rescue operation is carried out by a state organization or a private actor. When it comes to trust in specific rescue organizations, the traditional blue-light organizations and mountain and air rescue services come out on top. This is followed by the TCS, which is perceived as an emergency organization by 77% of respondents.
Trust in the TCS as an emergency organization is rated at 7.4, with a value of 10 being the maximum. This means that the TCS enjoys more trust as a rescue organization than the civil defence (6.7) and the Swiss army (6.6). TCS members trust the TCS (8.3) as an emergency organization even more than the police (8.0).
Reservations about emergency care in rural areas
While the work of the emergency services enjoys a high level of trust across the board, there are major differences in terms of services and infrastructure in emergency situations. The quality of emergency care in urban areas is consistently rated as very good. Emergency care in rural regions, on the other hand, was not rated as high quality by almost 30 percent of respondents. Among respondents from Italian-speaking Switzerland, this figure is even higher than half.
Uncertainty about cost consequences
There is also some catching up to do when it comes to the costs of an emergency call-out. A quarter of those surveyed felt that they were insufficiently informed about who bears the costs of medical services. There are also uncertainties when it comes to their own competence in emergency situations. Only 35% of respondents are very confident that they know exactly what to do in an emergency. A further 40 percent say they are rather competent.
The TCS Emergency Barometer 2024 is available to download free of charge:
www.tcs.ch/notfallbarometer
