Alarms and behaviour guidelines

1. Overview

In the event of a disaster, the entire population in the affected area must be alerted. To do this, Switzerland has a close-knit network of sirens covering the entire country as well as an application that can be downloaded: Alertswiss. The Alertswiss application enables the population to find out about the instructions and behaviour to adopt.

The canton of Geneva currently has 116 fixed sirens throughout the country. Inside buildings open to the general public, alarms are relayed by telephone and instructions are issued to occupants. Most disasters are of local or regional magnitude.

 

Autres feuillets du livret

Find out what to do in the event of a general alarm.

Instructions in case of a general alarm

Find out what to do in the event of a water-alarm.

Instructions in case of a water alarm

A public alarm test, including siren tests, takes place every 1st Wednesday in February.

Alarm tests

The Alertswiss portal brings together essential information on disaster and emergency preparedness in Geneva and Switzerland, as well as on the appropriate behaviour to adopt.

Alertswiss app

An Emergency Meeting Point (In French: Point de Rencontre d'Urgence - PRU) is the first point of contact  where people can gather in the event of a incident, disaster, or emergency situation.

Emergency meeting points PRU

2. Instructions in case of a general alarm

The general alarm consists of wavering sound for one minute.

For who

The instructions in the event of a general alarm apply to the entire population of Geneva.
 

Instructions

In the event of a general alarm, instructions are the following :

  1. Stay inside, shut all doors and windows, turn off all ventilation systems.
  2. Keep informed (listen to local media and/or refer to instructions issued on the smartphone app Alertswiss). These resources ensure broadcasting of information to the public 24 hours a day.
  3. Follow the instructions provided by the authorities.
  4. Inform your neighbours.
General Alarm Behaviour

Download poster

3. Instructions in case of a water-alarm

A water alarm can be recognised by its low pitched tones lasting 20 seconds at 10-second intervals. In Switzerland, a water alarm is activated only in case of danger in areas downstream of a dam, for example in the unlikely event of a dam bursting.

For who

Instructions to be followed when a water alarm is activated concern people located downstream of a dam.


Instructions

In the event of a water-alarm, instructions are the following :

  1. Leave the danger zone immediately.
  2. Listen to the radio RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse) and/or- refer to instructions issued of the smartphone app Alertswiss). These resources ensure broadcasting of information to the public 24 hours a day.
  3. Follow the instructions provided by the authorities.

Alarme eau

4. Alarm tests

Each first Wednesday of the month of February, a public alarm test, including siren tests and the sending of a push notification on the Alertswiss application, is carried out throughout Switzerland to check the proper functioning of all installations and to inform the population of the appropriate behaviour to adopt in the event of an alarm. 

Depending on technical requirements, additional tests may be organised at other periods of the year. In all cases, the population is informed in advance.

5. Alertswiss app

In addition to sirens, the Alertswiss application allows cantons to inform and/or alert the population of any major event likely to affect their situation and/or safety.

Furthermore, the alertswiss.ch portal provides essential information on disaster and emergency preparedness in Geneva and Switzerland, as well as on the appropriate behaviour to adopt.

For who

The Alertswiss application is dedicated to the entire population.

Price

The application is free.

Download the Alertswiss application

The Alertswiss application can provide useful information on ordinary events (traffic jams, demonstrations, etc.), as well as on more serious dangers (fire risks, flood, etc.). It also provides information on the appropriate behaviour to adopt.

6. Emergency meeting points

An Emergency Meeting Point (In French: Point de Rencontre d'Urgence - PRU) is the first point of contact  where people can gather in the event of a incident, disaster, or emergency situation. It allows the population to receive official information and, if necessary, to access emergency communication facilities.

PRUs complete existing protection systems and are activated by the authorities if other channels of communication are unavailable.

For who

PRUs are intended for anyone who needs information or help in an emergency situation.

When

PRUs are activated by the authorities in the event of a disaster or major disruption to communications. The public is informed as soon as the PRU is operational.

 

Where to find a PRU

 Each commune in the canton has one or more PRUs. They are generally located in easily accessible public buildings, such as schools or multi-purpose halls. 

PRUs are easy to find. In the event of an incident, a flag is displayed in front of the site and direction signposts are set up in the surrounding area. 

 

Open the maps in a new tab :

Emergency meeting points PRU

Contact us

Cantonal Office for Civil Protection and Military Affairs (OCPPAM)

ocppam.pru@etat.ge.ch