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Guide · GUIDE 31

Protection in Emergencies: How to React

Last reviewed on 04.07.2026

The general alarm – a rising and falling siren tone lasting one minute – always means the same thing: listen to the radio or inform yourself via Alertswiss and follow the authorities' instructions. Whether you seek shelter indoors or leave an area depends on the specific hazard; the authorities will announce it when an incident occurs.

Dangers are diverse – but the correct basic behaviour is nearly always the same. When you hear a siren alarm in Switzerland or receive a message via the Alertswiss app, you do three things first: listen to the radio or inform yourself via Alertswiss, follow the instructions of the authorities and emergency services, and inform neighbours and people in need of help. Use emergency and communications networks only for urgent needs. Whether you seek shelter indoors or leave an area depends on the specific hazard – the authorities will tell you what applies when an incident occurs. This guide explains the hazard-independent principles and links to the matching detailed guide for each of the 13 hazards.

The common thread: inform yourself, follow instructions, help

Civil protection is built on a simple pattern that applies to almost every hazard. Alertswiss (Federal Office for Civil Protection, FOCP) summarises it as «Respond Correctly When in Danger»: inform yourself, follow the instructions of the authorities and emergency services, support neighbours and people in need of help.

After a general alarm, information always follows via radio and Alertswiss. That is why the first reflex is not rushing into action, but gathering information: turn on the radio or open the Alertswiss app and find out what has happened and what you need to do.

Emergency and communications networks have limited capacity when an incident occurs. Use the telephone and other networks only for important and urgent needs, and call emergency services only in genuine emergencies, so the lines remain free for the injured and emergency services.

How do I recognise an official alert?

Siren. The general alarm is a regularly rising and falling tone. It lasts one minute on stationary sirens and is repeated within five minutes. It means: a hazard is threatening – listen to the radio or inform yourself via Alertswiss, follow instructions, inform neighbours. The flood alarm – twelve low continuous tones of 20 seconds each at intervals of ten seconds – sounds only below dams and means: leave the endangered area immediately. The siren test takes place annually on the first Wednesday in February.

Alertswiss. The official warning app and website (alert.swiss) from the federal government and cantons distributes messages in three levels (alert, warning, information) with specific instructions on how to behave. The app is free for iOS and Android and works independently of the siren.

Radio. SRG radio stations and licensed local radio stations broadcast the official messages on FM and DAB+. For crises, the FOCP operates the IBBK system (Information der Bevölkerung durch den Bund in Krisenlagen – information of the population by the federal government in crisis situations): it broadcasts over reinforced FM signals that can be received down to the second basement level of cellars and protection shelters, and it is largely independent of internet, Wi-Fi and mobile networks. That is why a battery-powered radio (DAB+/FM) with spare batteries belongs in every emergency supply.

Distinguish between the three Alertswiss levels

Alert (highest level): The authorities inform of an immediate danger and issue mandatory instructions for behaviour. What specifically needs to be done is stated in the alert message itself.

Warning: The authorities report a possible danger or possible event and recommend behaviour without making it mandatory. Time to make preparations.

Information: A civil-protection-relevant event that is not inherently dangerous – for example contaminated drinking water in a municipality.

Should I stay indoors or evacuate?

In most hazards, the choice is: seek shelter in the building or leave an area. Which applies depends on the hazard and is ordered by the authorities when an incident occurs. Do not act on your own judgement against an official instruction.

Seeking shelter indoors is typical for airborne hazards – such as the release of toxic substances from a chemical plant or the release of radioactive substances. Then: go into the building, close windows and doors, switch off ventilation.

Leaving an area is typical in case of flood alarm below dams (leave the endangered area immediately) and whenever the authorities order evacuation. When there is a risk of flooding, also: do not go into cellars or underground garages.

Airborne hazard: into the building, close windows, switch off ventilation

  1. Go immediately into the nearest building and stay there
  2. Close all windows and external doors
  3. Switch off ventilation (this includes air conditioning and extraction fans)
  4. Turn on the radio or open Alertswiss and wait for instructions
  5. Do not go outside until the authorities give the all-clear

Earthquake: take cover

In an earthquake, the official Swiss recommendation (SED/ETH Zurich, Alertswiss, natural hazards portal) is: take cover, for example under a sturdy table, and protect your head. This follows the internationally recognised principle of «Drop – Cover – Hold On» (drop to the ground, take cover, hold on).

If you are already in a building, stay indoors and do not run outside – falling facade parts and glass are the greatest danger outside. If you are already outside, stay outside and do not run into a building; instead seek distance from structures, masts and trees. Only leave the building when the surroundings are safe.

Preparedness is the foundation

  1. Build emergency supplies: water and food so you are self-sufficient for several days to about one week
  2. Keep a battery-powered radio (DAB+/FM) with spare batteries ready – for messages during a power outage
  3. Pack an emergency bag: ready to hand in case you have to leave the house quickly
  4. Keep important documents ready to hand (ID/passport, insurance, family documents)
  5. Keep some cash in the house – in a power outage, ATMs and card payments fail
  6. Install the Alertswiss app and know the location of your municipality's emergency meeting points
  7. Agree with your family on a meeting point and procedure if communication fails

Emergency meeting points: your municipality's contact point

Emergency meeting points serve the population as the first contact point in case of major incidents, disasters and emergencies. When an incident occurs, you will receive information about the current situation there – and can make emergency calls if usual means of communication (mobile phone, radio, television) no longer work, for example in case of extended power outages or electricity shortages.

Emergency meeting points are operated by the cantons. The FOCP coordinates them and publishes the locations on the national map (map.geo.admin.ch). Because the locations vary by municipality, it is worth finding the nearest emergency meeting point before an incident.

The official emergency meeting point is different from a privately agreed family meeting point. Both make sense: one as an official contact point, the other so that your family can reunite if communication fails.

Which hazard – where to read more

Natural hazards: For weather and natural events, the detailed guides cover storms and severe weather, flooding, earthquakes, avalanches and landslides, heat and drought, wildfires and solar storms. The associated warnings are issued via MeteoSwiss and the federal natural hazards portal (naturgefahren.ch).

Technical and social hazards: Separate guides cover gas leaks, chemical accidents, dam failures, cyberattacks and terrorism and violence.

Health: For disease outbreaks, there is the guide on pandemics.

Each of these 13 guides deepens the basic behaviour described here with the specific steps for the respective hazard. You will also find the current Swiss hazard situation in the situation report.

Common mistakes / misunderstandings

  1. Running outside or looking out of the window when the siren alarm sounds instead of first listening to the radio and informing yourself
  2. Assuming the general alarm means «evacuate immediately» – it means «inform yourself and wait for instructions»; flood alarm, on the other hand, means «leave the endangered area immediately»
  3. Opening windows for ventilation in a chemical or radiation hazard – correct: close windows and doors, switch off ventilation
  4. Going into the cellar or underground garage when there is a risk of flooding to rescue things
  5. Running out of the building into the open during an earthquake – facade parts and glass fall outside
  6. Calling 112/144/118 out of curiosity or for situation reports and blocking lines
  7. Relying only on mobile networks and the internet – in a power outage, only the network-independent radio (IBBK) and the municipality's emergency meeting point remain
  8. Delaying preparedness: without emergency supplies, an emergency bag and a charged radio, the best knowledge is of little use in an emergency
Alerting and basic behaviour in Switzerland – at a glance
Signal / level Meaning What to do
General alarm (siren) rising/falling tone, 1 min., repeated in 5 min. Radio/Alertswiss, follow instructions, inform neighbours
Flood alarm (siren) 12 low continuous tones of 20 s, interval 10 s (below dams) leave endangered area immediately
Alertswiss «Alert» immediate danger follow mandatory instructions of the message
Alertswiss «Warning» possible danger recommended behaviour, make preparations
Alertswiss «Information» relevant, not inherently dangerous take note, stay informed
Airborne hazard (chemical/NPP) toxic/radioactive substances in the air into building, close windows/doors, switch off ventilation
Earthquake tremor, falling objects take cover (sturdy table), protect head
Communications failure power/network outage go to municipality's emergency meeting point

Sources: FOCP/Alertswiss (sirens, alert levels, behaviour, emergency meeting points, IBBK radio) and FOEN natural hazards portal (flooding). As of July 2026. The specific applicable instruction in case of an incident always takes precedence over this general overview.

Frequently asked questions

What do I do first when I hear a siren alarm?

Turn on the radio (FM/DAB+) or open the Alertswiss app and inform yourself. After the general alarm, a message always follows via radio and Alertswiss with the authorities' instructions. You follow these and inform neighbours and people in need of help.

What is the difference between general alarm and flood alarm?

The general alarm is a rising and falling tone lasting one minute and means: inform yourself and wait for instructions. The flood alarm consists of twelve low continuous tones and sounds only below dams; it means: leave the endangered area immediately.

What do the three Alertswiss levels mean?

Alert means immediate danger with mandatory instructions. Warning reports a possible danger, where behaviour is recommended but not mandatory. Information reports a relevant but not inherently dangerous event, such as contaminated drinking water.

Should I stay in the house or flee?

That depends on the hazard, and the authorities will order it. For airborne hazards such as a chemical accident, you seek shelter in the building (close windows and doors, switch off ventilation). For flood alarm or ordered evacuation, you leave the endangered area.

Why do I need a battery-powered radio when I have a smartphone?

Because mobile networks and the internet can fail during a power outage. The radio infrastructure is largely network-independent; the FOCP's IBBK system broadcasts over reinforced FM signals right down into cellars and protection shelters. A DAB+/FM radio with spare batteries therefore belongs in the emergency supply.

What is an emergency meeting point?

A contact point run by the cantons for use in disasters and emergencies. There you will receive information about the situation and can make emergency calls when mobile phone, radio and television no longer work, such as during extended power outages. You will find the locations on map.geo.admin.ch.

How do I prepare for hazards in general?

With emergency supplies (water and food for several days to about one week), a battery-powered radio with spare batteries, a packed emergency bag, documents ready to hand, some cash and the Alertswiss app. Also agree on a meeting point with your family.

Official sources