Switzerland

Sirens: Switzerland has a nationwide civil protection siren system. There is a general alarm and a water alarm.

• General alarm: a regular rising and falling tone lasting 1 minute, repeated once after 2 minutes.
• Water alarm: 12 low continuous tones lasting 20 seconds each with 10-second pauses, used only in endangered areas downstream of dams.
• Siren test: every year on the first Wednesday in February.

If the alarm sounds outside an announced test, switch on the radio, check Alertswiss, follow official instructions and inform neighbours. In case of a water alarm, leave the endangered area immediately.

Country: Switzerland

• Country code: CH
• Official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh
• Currency: Swiss franc (CHF)
• Time zone: Central European Time, Central European Summer Time in summer
• Electricity: usually 230 V / 50 Hz, plug type J

Switzerland has a very well-developed infrastructure. During a prolonged power outage, communication, public transport, card payments, heating, cooling, lifts, fuel stations, supermarkets and parts of the water supply may still be restricted.

In alpine and rural regions, snow, storms, avalanches, flooding, landslides or road closures can make the situation worse. Households should therefore also prepare for limited accessibility.

The most important emergency numbers in Switzerland should be saved offline and also kept in printed form.

• 112: European emergency number
• 117: police
• 118: fire brigade
• 144: ambulance / emergency medical services
• 145: Tox Info Suisse / poisoning hotline
• 1414: Rega / air rescue in Switzerland
• 143: adult helpline
• 147: help for children and young people

Use emergency numbers only in genuine emergencies. During a large-scale blackout, lines should not be blocked by general enquiries.

Switzerland warns and informs the population through sirens, radio and the Alertswiss app and website.

• Sirens: general alarm and water alarm in hazardous situations.
• Alertswiss: alarms, warnings and information via app, push notification and website.
• Radio: during a power outage, a battery, wind-up or car radio is important for receiving official information.
• Canton / municipality: local contact points and instructions may differ depending on the incident.

After a general alarm, follow official bulletins and the instructions issued by the authorities.

Switzerland recommends keeping personal emergency supplies. Water, non-perishable food, medication and an independent source of information are especially important.

• Plan at least 9 litres of water per person as a reserve.
• Keep non-perishable food for at least one week.
• Keep personal medication, first-aid supplies and hygiene items ready.
• Prepare a battery-powered or wind-up radio, torches, spare batteries and power banks.
• Keep cash in small notes, as card payments and cash machines may fail.
• Keep important phone numbers, addresses and documents available on paper as well.
• With alternative cooking or heating sources, always watch for fire and carbon monoxide risks.

During a power outage, keep fridges and freezers closed as much as possible and follow the instructions of the police, fire brigade and civil protection authorities.

For local power outages, the responsible contact is usually the local grid operator or municipality. Depending on the incident, official information may be published via Alertswiss, radio, the canton, municipality, police, fire brigade or civil protection authorities.

The Federal Office for National Economic Supply provides general information on emergency supplies and behaviour during electricity shortages, but it is not a fire, ambulance or urgent fault-reporting service.

Dominican citizens in Switzerland should also save the contact details of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Bern offline.