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Hazard · Security

Terror & violence

The rule is Run – Hide – Tell. Run has priority: away from the danger zone, leave belongings, take others with you. If flight is impossible, hide behind solid masonry, barricade doors and silence your phone. Only once you are safe, alert police on 117.

Attacks, rampages or firearms violence in public are rare in Switzerland but can affect many people within minutes. The Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) rates the terrorist threat as "heightened", shaped above all by individuals radicalised online. Realistically the personal probability is low – but preparation does no harm and can save lives in an emergency.

For behaviour during an attack there is an internationally established rule, conveyed by fedpol: Run – Hide – Tell. Running takes priority; if that is not possible, hide; and only once you are safe yourself do you alert the police on 117. This clear order helps you stay able to act in a chaotic situation.

How fast and devastating such acts can be was shown by the Zug attack in 2001, in which a lone perpetrator killed 14 people in a short time. Behaviour in crowds also matters: stay calm, move with the direction of movement and keep an eye on exits early.

Risk rating

Risk · Medium (level 3 of 5)

Likelihood: Medium · Impact: Medium → Overall risk: Medium.

Risk matrix: likelihood runs vertically (top = high), impact runs horizontally (right = high). The highlighted cell shows this hazard's rating.
Impact
Low Medium High
High
Medium This hazard's rating
Low

Legend: Low (green) · Medium (yellow) · High (red). Overall risk is likelihood multiplied by impact.

Attacks or acts of violence in public are rare but have serious consequences. In an emergency the simple principle applies: Run – Hide – Tell.

Immediate measures

  • Run: away from the danger zone, leave your belongings
  • Hide if escape is impossible – phone silent (vibration off too)
  • Tell: police 117, as soon as you are safe yourself

Warning signs

  • Gunfire, explosions or people suddenly fleeing in panic
  • Armed or conspicuously aggressive people in public
  • Unattended, suspicious objects in busy places
  • Police instructions or loudspeaker announcements to leave an area
  • Warnings via Alertswiss or radio

Before · During · After

Before

  • Internalise the principle "Run – Hide – Tell"
  • In public places, casually note emergency exits and escape routes
  • Know the police emergency number 117; practise staying calm and composed

During

  • RUN: use the escape route, take others with you and warn them
  • HIDE: behind solid masonry, lock/barricade doors, away from windows, lights off, phone silent
  • TELL: call the police 117 as soon as it is safe to do so
  • When the police approach: no sudden movements, show open hands
  • In crowds, move calmly with the direction of movement, look for edges/exits

After

  • Follow the instructions of the emergency services, respect closures
  • Report your observations to the police, make yourself available as a witness
  • In case of psychological strain, accept help (e.g. The Helping Hand 143)

This really happened

  1. 2024 Knife attack in Zurich

    On 2 March 2024 a 15-year-old, radicalised online, stabbed an Orthodox Jew in Zurich and seriously injured him; the victim survived. The act is classified as antisemitic and terrorist in motivation.

    Source

  2. 2020 Knife attack in Lugano

    On 24 November 2020 a woman attacked two women with a knife in the Manor department store in Lugano (TI) and seriously injured one. The Office of the Attorney General classified the act as terrorist (IS link).

    Source

  3. 2020 Morges attack (VD)

    On 12 September 2020 an Islamist known to the authorities stabbed a man to death in Morges (VD); it is considered the first jihadist-motivated terrorist attack on Swiss soil.

    Source

  4. 2001 Zug attack

    On 27 September 2001 a lone perpetrator stormed the Zug cantonal parliament and killed 14 people (three government councillors and eleven parliamentarians); 18 others were injured; the perpetrator then took his own life. It is the most serious act of violence of its kind in Switzerland.

    Source

Frequently asked questions

What does the "Run – Hide – Tell" rule mean?

It is an internationally established sequence conveyed by fedpol for attacks and gun violence. Running always has priority – away from the danger zone without paying attention to belongings. If that is impossible, hide: behind solid masonry, doors barricaded, away from windows, lights off, phone silent. Only when safe alert police on 117.

How do I behave in a crowd or in a panic?

Stay calm, move with the crowd's direction rather than against it and look for the edges and exits. At public places, note emergency exits early. When emergency responders approach, avoid hectic movements and show your open hands so you are not mistaken for a threat.

How high is the terror threat in Switzerland?

The federal intelligence service (FIS) rates the terrorist threat as "elevated", characterised primarily by online-radicalised individuals. Attacks are rare but can hit many people within minutes – as shown by the Zug attack in 2001 with 14 deaths. Your personal risk remains low; preparation can nonetheless save lives in an emergency.

Official sources