New brochure on population shelters
The Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOPP), due to the increased interest of Helvetians since the war in Ukraine began, has published a new brochure summary on shelters.
The FOPP’s new publication entitled “The Shelter,” available in German, French, Italian and English, provides an overview of this important element of the Swiss security apparatus.
A shelter also commonly called a ” fallout shelter” is an underground facility located on the basement floor of a building designed to protect the population from armed conflict, but they can also offer good protection in the event of natural or man-made disasters. Most of the population lives in buildings equipped with shelters. If the building does not have a shelter, public shelters nearby can be used. The construction and equipment of shelters are standardized and governed by technical instructions. Cantons are responsible for developing and updating allocation plans. However, the allocation of the population to shelters is made publicly known only if the situation on the security policy level requires it.
Fallout shelters and emergency management in Switzerland
The Federal Office for Civil Protection points out that the clearing and furnishing of shelters is done only by order of the authorities if there is a real situation of danger, such as a war in a country neighboring Switzerland, and that shelters should be able to be cleared in five days.
Considering the current situation in Ukraine, it is not necessary to prepare shelters for a stay.
Protection in case of armed conflict
Shelters are primarily designed to protect the population in case of armed conflict. They must resist the effects of modern weapons, so especially NBC weapons and the close impact of conventional weapons.
A protected place for every inhabitant
The principle, “One protected place for every inhabitant,” applies in Switzerland. With about nine million protected places available in the approximately 370,000 public and private shelters, we can boast a coverage ratio of more than 100 percent, although there are cantonal differences and local gaps.
Conceptualization of shelters
Shelters are built and equipped in a very spartan manner in order to keep costs, space requirements and maintenance work as low as possible. On the other hand, no expense is spared on the protective function:
The mechanical strength of the shelter is provided by the shell (floor, walls and ceiling), which is made of concrete. The closures, i.e., doors and armored lids, are also made of reinforced concrete.Each shelter has an emergency exit (rescue exit or escape tunnel) so that it can be abandoned even when the entrance is no longer usable, for example because it is obstructed by rubble from a building collapse.To ensure an influx of fresh air, shelters are equipped with a ventilation system. This includes an air intake, anti-explosion valve and prefilter, ventilation apparatus, gas filter as well as overpressure and anti-explosion valve.Large shelters also have a sluice. This prevents potentially contaminated outside air from entering the shelter when someone enters or leaves while the ventilation is operating.
Shelters of various sizes
Shelters are standardized and made of approved components. There are various types, which differ in size and floor plan. The number of protected places available in a shelter depends on its size. The best known is the private shelter located in the basement of single- and multi-family houses. As a rule, five to fifty people can be accommodated there, depending on the size of the house or building complex of which they are a part. Many municipalities also have large public shelters, often located under school or administrative buildings, where as many as several hundred people can be accommodated.
Equipping shelters
Homeowners must equip their shelters with the equipment that allows them to stay there for an extended period. Today, shelter equipment usually includes beds and dry latrines.
Order to occupy shelters
The authorities are constantly monitoring and assessing the development of the situation on the security policy front. If a conflict emerges in Switzerland or a neighboring country, shelters are allocated to the population in advance. Shelters must be able to be prepared for operation and deployment within five days so that sufficient time remains to occupy them in an orderly manner.
Preparation of shelters
On the order of the authorities, shelters must be cleared and, possibly under the guidance of civil defense, furnished for occupation. In principle, all material must be cleared except for technical installations (ventilation system, lighting). It is forbidden to deposit flammable material in the premises adjacent to the shelter (both to the side and above). Basement rooms adjacent to the shelter should be used to store supplies and items important for survival that have no place in the shelter.
Allocation of sheltered places
Cantons respectively municipalities are required to plan the allocation of the population to shelters and to update it continuously. The allocation to shelters is made known only when the situation on the security policy front makes it necessary. Various channels can be used for this purpose: for example, it can be published on the Internet, posted on the municipal notice board, sent by mail, and/or communicated directly on site (e.g., with the support of civil defense). On the order of the authorities, people go to the furnished shelters assigned to them by the municipality or civil defense.
Occupation of shelters
A distinction is made between occupation of shelters as a preventive measure and occupation in case of imminent danger. Emergency supplies (especially drinks and long-shelf-life food) can largely be built up in advance in or near the shelter. The principle applies in the shelter that people must be able to sustain themselves for several days without outside help. In case of danger, the following points should be observed before leaving the shelter:
- follow the instructions of the authorities
- prepare emergency luggage (incl. personal documents)
- prepare a battery-powered FM radio and spare batteries
- prepare food (including any special and baby food) and medication
- close doors and windows, turn off electrical appliances, shut off gas and extinguish any fires (fireplaces, candles, etc.)
- inform and, if necessary, help the other inhabitants of the house
- find suitable accommodation for pets and make sufficient water and food available to them
- on the order of the authorities, close the door and armored cover and put the ventilation unit into operation
Obligation to build shelters
The obligation to build shelters remains in place, both to fill local gaps in shelter infrastructure and to cope with population growth. Today, however, priority is given to preserving the value of the existing infrastructure, i.e., maintenance and modernization.
Construction of new shelters
In municipalities where there are not enough protected places, when building new homes, owners must construct and equip shelters and maintain them. As a rule, shelters should be built only in the largest buildings (38 rooms and above, resp. 25 protected places). Exceptions are possible in municipalities with less than 1,000 inhabitants. In areas where there are not enough protected places, municipalities are required to build and equip public shelters and maintain them. If a shelter is not built at the time of construction of a home, the owner must pay a replacement contribution.
Responsibilities and financing
Cantons are responsible for managing the construction of shelters. The federal government issues the relevant regulations. Property owners bear the costs of building, equipping and maintaining shelters. Public shelters of municipalities are financed by replacement contributions. These can also be used for modernization of private shelters and periodic inspection of shelters.
Daily use of shelters
In normal times the shelter can be used as a warehouse, cellar, hobby room, game room, archive, etc. For these uses unrelated to civil defense, it is imperative to comply with the requirements for work safety, electrical installations, fire protection, etc. Modifications to the protective envelope (floor, walls, ceiling), armored doors and covers, and ventilation system are also not allowed. Plans for architectural adaptations and changes to the structure and technical systems must be submitted to the relevant authorities for approval.
Maintenance obligation
The owner is obliged to maintain the shelter and ensure access to its technical facilities, especially for periodic inspection by the authorities at least once every ten years. Simple shelter maintenance works to be carried out by the owners are, for example, cleaning the shelter and the rescue exit. Maintenance work on technical installations, which is more complex and needs to be done less frequently, should be entrusted to specialists.
The brochure in the various languages
Der Schutzraum (deutsch)
L’abri (Français)
Schelters (english)