Switzerland’s annual test of its civil-defence sirens was largely successful. Nearly 99% of the country’s roughly 5,000 alarms functioned properly during the nationwide drill on Wednesday, according to the Federal Office of Civil Protection. The figure is broadly unchanged from last year. Cantons and municipalities have been instructed to repair or replace faulty equipment without delay.
Several cantons also tested mobile sirens, which are used in sparsely populated areas and can serve as a back-up if fixed installations fail.
The sirens are sounded each year on the first Wednesday in February. But the system has limits. Some people—particularly those in remote areas—may not hear them. And sirens convey no information beyond the fact that something is wrong.
To address these shortcomings, the government plans to add mobile-phone alerts to its warning system. The Swiss Federal Council wants to use text-based alerts to reach more people and to provide clear instructions on how to respond in an emergency.
Under the proposed system, known as cell broadcast, the federal authorities would send an alert to Switzerland’s three mobile-network operators, which would then transmit the message to all phones in a defined geographic area. The technology is already used in countries including France, Germany, the United States and Japan.
The change will not happen quickly. A consultation on revising the civil-protection law has just concluded, and the government must finalise its proposal before submitting it to parliament. The aim is for the new system to enter into force in 2029. The cost of implementation is estimated at CHF 270m.
Some cantonal officials are urging faster action. In Neuchâtel, Thierry Michel, head of the cantonal civil-protection service, argues that Switzerland should move more swiftly towards modern methods that have proved their worth elsewhere.
Text alerts are intended to complement, not replace, sirens. For now, alarms will remain part of Switzerland’s soundscape—ideally only on the first Wednesday of February.
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