Not enough civilian protection personnel for emergencies
Swiss cantons are concerned about the declining numbers of civil protection members and have called on the federal government to address the problem. Recruitment of new members has almost halved between 2011 and 2017 in some regions.
This content was published on
3 minutes
SDA-ATS/ln
The Swiss civilian protection service needs 6,000 new members each year to maintain its resources and its services. Last year, however, it only managed to recruit 4,800 of them, reported Swiss public radio RTS on Monday.
Men with Swiss citizenship who do not perform military or civilian service are required to undertake civilian protection activities. These include helping out in the event of disasters, offering security at major events or driving around people with disabilities.
‘Dramatic trend’
For some, this a very worrying development. “This persistent and dramatic trend threatens the very mission of civil protection,” said the secretary-general of the Inter-governmental Conference on Issues relating to Military, Civil Protection and Fire Services, Alexander Krethlow in an interview with French-speaking radio RTS. Last year, some cantons only managed to recruit half as many new members as they did in 2010, he said.
The representatives of the cantonal authorities shared their concerns with Defence Minister Guy Parmelin on Monday. They urged him to take actions to combat the problem.
There were two main reasons for the current shortage, according to Krethlow. The health of the population had generally improved in recent years, which means fewer men had been deemed unfit for military service, thus decreasing the civil protection’s pool of human resources.
The army has also introduced a series of “diversity of suitability” to create a more inclusive culture in the army, which means that even less men are now available for civilian protection service, Krethlow said.
Structural overhaul
A government task force was created and promises to present a report on the subject by the end of 2020, RTS reported. It will examine a variety of possible solutions which may include obliging both men and women to serve Switzerland in some form in future.
This could involve merging civilian protection with the civilian service – which would amount to a complete overhaul of the current system. The Federal Council is opposed to this radical approach, whilst the cantonal authorities insist that reorganising the civil protection force is necessary to ensure its services can be guaranteed in times of crisis, RTS reported.
More
More
More women opt for Swiss military service
This content was published on
The number of new female recruits has virtually doubled in the last two years. The SonntagsBlick newspaper reports that a record 250 women volunteered for service last year, up 35% from the previous year and practically double the 2015 numbers. “Interest in security issues among women has increased with the crises in Europe, in particular…
Valais voters reject plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040
This content was published on
Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland have turned down a proposal for the region to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
This content was published on
Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Bunkers for all
This content was published on
“Why on earth have you got a reinforced steel door in your cellar?” The amazement of a visiting Italian friend is easy to understand. He has never been in the basement of a Swiss home. Cellar? Well, the room is half full of bottles of wine, old books, a freezer, unwanted clothes… but a cellar…
Bunkers still relevant today, says Civil Protection Office
This content was published on
The usefulness of maintaining these bunkers is often questioned, but the Swiss Civil Protection Office argues that they still fulfil an important function. “The shelters were designed for all kinds of incidents, such as nuclear or chemical accidents, not just war,” says Jürg Balmer, head of International Affairs at the Office. Protective filters Balmer explains…
This content was published on
Military service in Switzerland is compulsory but for the last 20 years it has been possible for Swiss citizens to opt for the civil service. A new facility has been opened to train for it. (RTS, swissinfo.ch)
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.