Emergency preparedness Switzerland — field manual

Calm is
not a matter of luck,
but of preparation.

Blackout, severe weather, radioactivity – most emergencies give no warning. PrepperGuide brings together hazard knowledge, verified guides, checklists and all of Switzerland's emergency contacts in one place.

9 L
Drinking water / person
3 days
Drinking-water reserve
22
Hazards covered
45
Guides
9
Emergency medicine
10
Checklists
SITUATION

Situation

Current hazards and warnings from official feeds — with risk rating, map and links to matching guides.

Overall situation

High

Heuristic overall estimate from several indicators – not a forecast and not investment advice.

HAZARD SITUATION

Hazards & scenarios

The most relevant emergencies for Switzerland – with risk, immediate measures and behaviour.

Power outage

Technical

A blackout cripples heating, communications, payment systems and the water supply – often over a wide area and for hours to days.

Risk

Storm & severe weather

Natural hazard

Hurricane-force gusts, hail and falling trees threaten buildings, power lines and traffic. Heed the warning levels from MeteoSwiss.

Risk

Radioactivity

Technical

In a nuclear power plant accident, every minute counts. Within the 50 km zone, iodine tablets are distributed as a precaution – only take them on the authorities' instruction.

Risk

Flooding

Natural hazard

Heavy rain and snowmelt make rivers and lakes burst their banks. Cellars and underground car parks often fill within minutes.

Risk

Earthquake

Natural hazard

Switzerland lies in a moderately active zone. A strong quake is rare but possible – damage arises mainly from debris.

Risk

Avalanches & landslides

Natural hazard

Avalanches, debris flows and landslides threaten alpine regions and transport routes. Local situation reports and closures are binding.

Risk

View all hazards

HANDBOOK

Guides

Prepared step by step – from emergency supplies to the family plan.

GUIDE 01

Build an emergency supply in one weekend

Step by step to a one-week supply – what really belongs in the cupboard and how to rotate it.

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GUIDE 02

Behaviour in siren alarm

General alarm or water alarm? What the siren tones mean and the first steps.

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GUIDE 03

Make drinking water safe

Boil, filter, disinfect – drink safely in an emergency.

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GUIDE 04

Get through a power outage

Light, warmth, cooking and information without the grid – for 72 hours.

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GUIDE 05

Use iodine tablets correctly

Who has them, when they work and why only on instruction.

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GUIDE 06

72-hour plan for the family

Roles, meeting points and a plan that even children understand.

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GUIDE 07

Pack an emergency bag (go-bag)

What belongs in the bag when you have to leave the house in 5 minutes.

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GUIDE 08

Build up a cash reserve

Why cash is important in an emergency – and how much makes sense.

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GUIDE 09

Caring for pets in an emergency

Supplies, transport and an emergency plan for dogs, cats & co. too.

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GUIDE 10

Shelter during storms & severe weather

Before, during and after hurricane-force gusts, hail and thunderstorms, get through safely: understand warning levels and know when to stay indoors.

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GUIDE 11

Shelter from flooding

Read warning levels correctly, avoid cellars and underground car parks in time and never through flooded water – before, during and after the event.

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GUIDE 12

Protection in earthquakes

Drop, Cover, Hold On – and make your home earthquake-safe.

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GUIDE 13

Protection from avalanches & landslides

Read the avalanche bulletin, plan tours and respect closures.

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GUIDE 14

Protection in heat & drought

Drink, cool down, avoid the midday heat – and look after vulnerable people.

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GUIDE 15

Protection in a pandemic

Supplies, hygiene and vaccination – stay prepared for months.

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GUIDE 16

Protection in a gas leak

If you smell gas, only one rule applies: no ignition source, get out, report it.

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GUIDE 17

Protection in a wildfire

Heed danger levels and fire bans – and report fires early.

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GUIDE 18

Protection in a chemical accident

On a chemical alarm: get inside, close the windows, listen to the radio.

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GUIDE 19

Protection in a dam failure

Recognise the water alarm and flee immediately to higher ground.

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GUIDE 20

Protection in a cyberattack

Backups, two-factor and some cash – become digitally resilient.

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GUIDE 21

Protection in terror & violence

The simple principle in an emergency: Run – Hide – Tell.

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GUIDE 22

Protection in a solar storm

Preparedness as for a power outage – plus awareness of GPS and radio disruptions.

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GUIDE 23

MRE, emergency rations & freeze-dried

Ready-made food comparison – what needs no cooking and water and how long it keeps.

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GUIDE 24

Survival times without water & food

How long humans survive without water and food – and why water comes first.

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GUIDE 25

Protection Shelters in Switzerland: Entitlement, Assignment, Equipment

Every person in Switzerland has a right to a protected place. Who builds, who pays, how you find your assigned place, and when you really need to use the shelter.

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GUIDE 26

Emergency Power & Solar for Crises

Power station, solar panel, generator, or power bank – how to calculate your electricity needs correctly and safely bridge a power outage.

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GUIDE 27

Assembling a home medicine cabinet: contents, storage, stock

Bandaging materials, the right medicines, and supplies that remain complete and shelf-stable in an emergency – how to assemble and maintain a home medicine cabinet.

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GUIDE 28

Cooking & Heating Without Power

How to cook safely during a power outage and keep a room warm – and why grills, gas stoves, and heaters are deadly indoors.

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GUIDE 29

Emergency preparedness for people with special needs

Anyone dependent on long-term medication, refrigerated medication, power-dependent devices or mobility aids needs customized preparedness – this guide shows what seniors, chronically ill, people with disabilities, pregnant women and families with infants must consider.

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GUIDE 30

Food preservation: canning, fermentation & storage

Canning, fermenting, drying, vacuum sealing, freezing: this is how you preserve food yourself and supplement your emergency supply – without poisoning yourself with botulism, the most dangerous mistake.

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GUIDE 31

Protection in Emergencies: How to React

Whether severe weather, chemical accident or power outage: the first step is always the same. Recognize the alarm, inform yourself via radio and Alertswiss, follow the authorities' instructions. This overview guides you to the 13 hazard-specific instructions.

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GUIDE 32

Getting around in an emergency: which method when?

Car, bike, on foot or even horse? The best transport method in a crisis depends on the scenario – and in a traffic jam, the car is often the worst choice. Honest pro and con analysis with real figures.

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GUIDE 33

Keeping occupied in a crisis: structure and stability without power

When a long power outage knocks out screens – that's when daily routine and analogue activities provide stability. How to keep yourself, children and elderly meaningfully occupied, and how to prepare a simple activity set.

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GUIDE 34

Hygiene & emergency toilet without running water

If water or power fails, hygiene becomes a health risk within days. Keep hands, body and toilet clean – and build a low-odour emergency toilet in minutes.

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GUIDE 35

Staying warm without heating

How to stay warm without heating in winter during a power outage – keep one room warm, insulate your body, and why substitute heaters with open flame indoors are deadly.

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GUIDE 36

Secure important documents

ID cards, insurance policies, bank documents: during a fire, flood or evacuation, there is often little time. How to prepare your most important documents, keep them dry and accessible, and back them up digitally.

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GUIDE 37

Create a family emergency plan: template & guide

Who picks up the kids, where do you meet, how do you contact each other if the mobile network is down? A written family emergency plan clarifies this beforehand – create it once, print it, practise it yearly.

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GUIDE 38

How a Crisis Management Team Works – and Why Aid Takes Time to Become Effective

Official aid requires time in an emergency: How Swiss executive bodies make decisions – and why emergency supplies bridge the first days.

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GUIDE 39

Gold & Precious Metals as Crisis Reserve: Buy, Store, Premium

In Switzerland, investment gold is VAT-free on purchase, while silver, platinum and palladium cost 8.1% VAT. What this means for purchasing, storage and premium – frankly and without promises of returns.

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GUIDE 40

Disinformation — SIFT method, lateral reading, and deepfakes

False information spreads faster when it triggers emotions. With the SIFT method, lateral reading, and reverse image search, verify a story in minutes — factually and impartially.

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GUIDE 41

Shock calls: how to respond correctly and agree on a family code word

Fake police, prosecutors, or bank employees use panic and pressure to get cash, valuables, or bank cards handed over – sometimes with AI-generated voices. The right response: hang up immediately, call back using the number you know, never hand over money. Clear explanation, with family code word and reporting channels.

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GUIDE 42

Lost in the mountains: what Switzerland really recommends

The STOPP rule is not a Swiss recommendation. What the CAS, J+S and Swiss trail organisations actually say – and why blockage is the most common mountain emergency.

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GUIDE 43

Map and compass: navigate as Switzerland teaches

Orient the map, determine your position, 3-point rule, LV95 coordinates and march time – according to the official J+S teaching material and swisstopo rules.

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GUIDE 44

Alert in mountain emergencies: 1414, coordinates and emergency radio

How to properly call for help in the Swiss mountains – alert schema, Swiss Grid, alpine emergency signal, emergency radio 161.300 MHz. And why Rega cannot find you on its own.

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GUIDE 45

Create and print your own hiking map

Put together exactly the map of your area at swisstopo: print it free as a PDF (map.geo.admin.ch) or order it as a waterproof mySwissMap – offline-safe for hiking and emergencies.

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Interactive tools

FIRST AID

Emergency medicine

The most important first-aid scenarios – emergency call 144.

Scenario

Accident

Get an overview and secure the scene before you help.

Scenario

Injured persons

Severe bleeding takes priority – stop it first.

Scenario

Resuscitation

No normal breathing = start chest compressions immediately.

Scenario

Burns

Cool with hand-warm water – and know when it belongs in an emergency.

View all scenarios

TEMPLATES

Checklists

Ready-made templates to check off and adapt.

Food

Calculated for 30 days per adult person – deliberately going further than the federal 1-week minimum, with longer-lasting situations such as an electricity shortage in mind. The quantities work out to a good 3'000 kcal per day (our own calculation), with a reserve for higher needs, spoilage or additional people. Adjust to taste and household – and use up and replace continuously.

Open template · 30 days · per person

Water & hygiene

Drinking, cooking and hygiene – calculated for 30 days. The federal minimum of 9 litres per person covers drinking and cooking for around three days; hygiene, for us, explicitly belongs with it. Our recommendation: 90 L of drinking water per person (3 L per day) plus quantified non-potable water – a combination of stored supply, treatment and collection at distribution points.

Open template · 30 days · per person

Energy & light

Power for light, refrigeration and communication. The basis is calculated for 72 hours without the grid, in stages from torch and power bank to solar, power station and a safely operated generator. For longer situations up to 30 days the combination counts: solar charges in summer, the generator bridges winter and bad weather in short charging windows.

Open template · 72 h to 30 days

Heat & cooking

Cooking without electricity and staying warm when the heating fails. We calculate the fuel for 30 days – our recommendation, disclosed as our own calculation – with safe storage and clear ventilation rules. Staying warm means first of all: clothing, blankets and body heat – every open flame indoors follows the safety rules.

Open template · 30 days · cooking & heat

Emergency backpack

Ready to grab if you have to leave your home quickly – packed in 30 minutes, with the essentials for 1–2 days away from home. Deliberately not calculated for 30 days: 30 days of water alone would be around 90 kg – the large supply stays at home («Food», «Water & hygiene» checklists). One backpack per person, no heavier than you can carry: every litre of water weighs a kilo.

Open template · Mobile · 1–2 days

Health

A medicine cabinet on two levels: the federal government requires long-term medication «always in stock» but names no duration. Our recommendation: a reserve for 30 days – long-term medication and consumables. For prescription medicines, clarify the quantity and refills with your doctor or pharmacy (prescription validity, cold chain). Check for expiry at least once a year – anything expired goes back to the pharmacy.

Open template · Medicine cabinet · 30-day reserve

Documents & money

A document dossier with originals and copies plus a cash reserve – within reach in one place and additionally backed up encrypted in digital form. With the cash we deliberately go beyond the federal rule of thumb: as a voluntary reserve, about one month's budget in small notes and some coins – each household sets the amount itself.

Open template · Folder · within reach

Tools & protection

So that small damage stays small – and a fire does not grow large: tools for repairing and sealing, smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher for the home, and protective equipment for clearing up.

Open template · Repair · secure

Information & radio

Stay informed when the mobile network and the internet fail – with an emergency radio, radio communication and an analogue family plan.

Open template · Stay informed

Dependants

Think of everyone who is cared for too: children, pets and people with special needs. We calculate baby food, nappies and pet food for 30 days like the rest of the supply – deliberately going further than the federal 1-week minimum; aids and arrangements come on top.

Open template · Children · pets · care
CONTACTS

Emergency contacts

Emergency numbers, siren signals and official warning apps.

BEHAVIOUR

Behaviour in emergencies

Stay calm, help others, get through together – self-help and psychological first aid.

View behaviour in emergencies