As a rule, every inhabitant in Switzerland should have a place in a shelter. Today, we are close to achieving this goal from the 1960s. In around 370,000 private and public shelters, there are, in principle, shelter places available for the entire population, although there are differences between cantons and local gaps. Some inner cities and outlying areas do not yet have enough shelter places. Areas with a growing population also require more shelter places.
Shelter – information on the purpose, structure, and use of personal protection shelters. View online
A place of refuge during an armed conflict
Shelters are mainly conceived for the case of an armed conflict, but they can also be used as emergency shelters during disasters and other emergencies. Shelters must be able to withstand the effects of modern weapons. Ventilated shelters with concrete outer shells offer a high chance of survival in most threat situations.
Obligation to build shelters
Thanks to the obligation to build shelters, the cantons can close remaining gaps and take account of population growth: if there are insufficient shelter places in a municipality, house owners must build, equip, and maintain shelters when constructing residential buildings. If no shelter is built (for example, for technical reasons or because there are already sufficient shelter places), a compensation fee of CHF 1,400 per shelter place must be paid. In areas where there are too few civil defence shelters, the municipalities must construct (public) shelters. These compensation fees may be used to finance these shelters. The compensation fees also serve to fund the renovation (maintaining the value) of public and private shelters.
Various sizes
There are different types and variants of shelters, with varying floor plans and sizes: the smallest fit five people, the largest over a thousand. The best-known type is the private shelter located in the basement of detached houses and blocks of flats. It usually provides shelter for between five and fifty people, depending on the size of the building. Many local authorities also have larger public shelters (e.g. beneath school buildings or administrative buildings). For economic and organisational reasons, the aim is to construct larger shelters.
Structure of a shelter
No matter their size, the same principles and requirements apply to all shelters, as in Switzerland they are largely standardised. They are designed and equipped to be functional, effective in terms of cost and space requirements, and easy to maintain. Shelters are primarily about providing protection:
The outer shell (floor, walls and ceiling), which is constructed with reinforced concrete, is what gives shelters their ability to withstand impacts. Openings are sealed off with blast doors and covers, which are also made of reinforced concrete.
Every shelter has an emergency exit or escape tunnel to ensure people can get out even if the entrance is no longer usable (for example if the building has collapsed).
To ensure fresh air supply, the shelter is equipped with a ventilation system. This includes the air intake, the blast valve and pre-filter, the ventilation unit (blower), and the NBC filter (gas filter), as well as the overpressure and explosion protection valve (at the entrance).
Larger shelters have airlocks. These ensure that no ambient air is admitted to the shelter when occupants leave and enter while the ventilation system is in operation.
Large shelters feature more extensive facilities, such as a kitchen and water supply.
Supplies: bunk beds and dry toilets
If you are the owner of a shelter, it is your responsibility to ensure that it is ready for an extended stay. Since 1987, the legally required equipment for a shelter consists of bunk beds and dry toilets. In shelters for more than 30 people, permanent booths should be provided for the dry toilets. The equipment must be stored near the shelter – its exact location must be indicated in the shelter.
Daily personal use
Shelters can be used in everyday life for storage, as a cellar, arts and crafts or play room, an archive or for other purposes. If you use your shelter in this way, remember that the regulations regarding occupational safety, electrical installations, fire protection, etc. apply, and that the shelter’s outer shell (floor, walls, ceiling), blast doors and covers, and ventilation system cannot be altered in any way. Before altering or modifying the structure of the shelter or its systems, you must obtain approval by the relevant authorities.
Maintenance obligation
As a shelter owner, you must maintain your shelter and its facilities, and ensure they remain accessible; this applies in particular to the inspections carried out by the authorities. The maintenance includes ensuring the shelter is clean. If you find any defects or malfunctions, contact your municipality or canton’s civil protection office for information on how to proceed.
Preparing and setting up a shelter
Shelter owners must be able to make their shelters operational and ready for use within five days. When setting up a shelter to be used for a few hours or days (including repeated use), the shelter and necessary equipment (bunk beds and dry toilets) must be prepared.
Current allocation planning
The cantons and communes are required to plan the allocation of shelters and to update their plans regularly. Shelter allocation is announced when the security situation requires it. The communes and cantons can provide information through various channels.
FAQ
Shelters are primarily conceived for the case of an armed conflict. They must be able to withstand the effects of modern weapons, i.e., they must primarily offer protection against NBC weapons and nearby impacts of conventional weapons. Shelters can also be used, however, as emergency shelters during disasters and other emergencies.
Today there are around 370,000 private and public shelters. As a matter of principle, there are shelter places for the entire population, but there are differences between cantons, as well as local deficiencies.
This is not envisaged. The shelter planning is calculated based on the permanent resident population (i.e., those who have lived in the country for over one year). Of course, in the event of an emergency, efforts would be made to provide shelter places for all who seek them. Some areas, especially certain tourist destinations, have a coverage rate of over 100 percent. Moreover, the actual occupation of a shelter may not fully match the allocation plans – e.g., because some people may be out of town. Over-occupancy is also possible for a certain period of time.
Yes. Shelters can be used in everyday life, for example, as storerooms, cellars, craft and playrooms, club premises or archives. Shelters designed as underground car parks are generally used to house vehicles. Where shelters are used for purposes other than civil protection, the regulations regarding health and safety at work, electrical installations, fire safety, etc. must be observed. To ensure the shelter’s protective function, no alterations may be made to the shelter’s envelope (floor, walls, ceiling), the closures (armoured doors, hatches and sliding walls) or the technical installations (e.g. ventilation system). Projects involving structural adaptations and alterations to the building’s structure and technical protective systems must be approved by the relevant authorities.
A shelter must be prepared and made ready for occupation within five days. The owner is obliged to ensure the maintenance of the shelter and its facilities and to keep them accessible. The authorities carry out periodic inspections (at least every ten years).
Due to arrivals and departures, births and deaths, available (new) protected places and other changes, the allocation planning is continuously modified. As a rule, these plans are not published in order to prevent out-of-date information from circulating, which could lead to uncertainty and confusion. However, the cantons and municipalities are free to provide information on the allocation of personal shelters upon request.
The owners of private shelters generally carry out simple maintenance work, e.g. cleaning the shelter and the emergency exit. This applies to all shelters, including the smallest (up to seven places). No maintenance work may be performed on the technical equipment itself.
Since 1987, the equipment required by law for a shelter has consisted of bunk beds and dry toilets. In shelters designed to accommodate more than 30 people, permanent booths are required for the dry toilets. The equipment must be stored in a dry and clean place – either on site or, if stored elsewhere on the premises, the location must be noted within the shelter. In some older shelters, this equipment is still missing today. The FOCP recommends that these shelters be equipped as well. In some cantons, retrofitting has already taken place.
Technically, it is possible to stay in the shelter continuously for weeks at a time. However, current plans are based on short, repeated stays lasting from a few hours to a few days.
Yes. In principle, people should be able to feed themselves for several days without outside help, even if they are in a shelter. The Federal Office for National Economic Supply (FONES) advises to build up emergency supplies, primarily consisting of a one week supply of non-perishable food and 9 litres of water per person. Important drugs should also be stocked up. See link: Emergency supplies
You can find out how to receive radio broadcasts in a shelter via the following link (under ‘FAQ: Emergency Radio’): Information via radio
As a matter of principle, shelters are not designed to accommodate animals in addition to humans. In individual cases, for example depending on the size and occupancy of the shelter in question, as well as the type of animal, it may be possible to bring an animal to the shelter.
No, cooking with alcohol or gas stoves is not allowed in shelters because of the risk of fire, the additional consumption of oxygen, the strong odours and the steam that is released during cooking and cannot be evacuated.
There are no plans to abolish small shelters altogether. If over 40 years old, their ventilation and filter systems must be replaced, as their efficiency declines after this time. It makes neither economic nor organisational sense to operate small shelters throughout Switzerland. For this reason, no new small shelters have been built for years. It should be considered on an individual basis whether it is worth maintaining a small shelter or whether places should be allocated in a public shelter. In some cases, protected premises that are no longer needed by management bodies and civil protection can be converted for the public.
The cantons may decommission shelters that no longer meet the minimum requirements. They may also decommission shelters that do meet the minimum requirements, provided that
the shelter would make conversion work in existing buildings disproportionately difficult or impossible,
the shelter is situated in a high-risk area,
there is a surplus of shelter capacity,
refurbishment would entail disproportionately high costs.
As the owner, you may maintain your shelter even if it is no longer an official one, i.e. it is no longer included in allocation planning. In the event of an armed conflict, you are free to choose whether to move into the shelter provided to you or to use your own shelter.
