Large scale Civil Protection operation during the UEFA EURO 2008

Together with the cantons and the four host cities the Swiss Government provides public security during the EURO 2008. The partner organisation of the Civil Protection makes a wide range of contributions. The EURO 2008 reveals that the services of the Civil Protection go far beyond what is expected from these troops in case of catastrophe and distress.

The EURO 2008 shall be a great, bright, untroubled festival uniting the nations. To make this possible, security has to be ensured. Therefore the protective services of the Civil Protection haven taken discreet but effective measures together with other security forces. In order to guarantee the intended interaction between the police, the emergency medical services, fire brigade and other security forces, these “blue-light-organisations” practice on the basis of a large scaled exercise around the stadium “Stade de Suisse” under the direction of the Police Corps of the Canton of Berne.

Operation- and Support-Forces go on alert
The ordinary danger defence will be carried out by the municipal and cantonal police corps of the host cities. For their support, police forces of other cantons and the neighbouring countries will be engaged. Also in the area of fire protection, the basic supply is ensured by the municipal fire brigade corps. Special preparations have been made in the area of the emergency medical services in order to cope with large masses of patients in case of emergency. To protect the public of NBC weapons a decontamination centre will be taken into service in front of each stadium.

The Civil Protection renders a range of organisational and logistic support in the host cities as well as in areas with large public viewing zones. It provides the needed forces in order to support the other protective services promptly and efficiently, if required. Overall, the Swiss Federal Government has approved approximately 18’000 deployment days in the host cities on its own account. Beyond that, the responsible cantonal and communal authorities have approved further deployment days.

Federal Office for Civil Protection FOCP on duty
On federal level, together with the Swiss Armed Forces the Federal Office for Civil Protection FOCP is particularly challenged. As at similar exercises on 12 April 2008 in Basle or on 19 April 2008 in Zurich, respectively, the FOCP is providing for instance the operational lead at today’s stadium exercise in Berne. 

Likewise, the FOCP is on duty during the EURO 2008: the National Coordination Staff of Switzerland (NACOS) has assumed the leadership for danger prevention in non-police matters. FOCP makes a key contribution with regard to the information and communication management of the security forces. The National Emergency Operations Centre NEOC, as part of the FOCP, will be operating the Electronic Situation Display (ESD) during the entire course of the EURO 2008. All deployment forces shall have access to the ESD. Moreover, under the lead-management of the FOCP, the existing POLYCOM sub-networks have been connected to an overall network in view of the EURO 2008. The safety radio system POLYCOM allows the radio contact within as well as between the involved security forces.

In case of any questions please contact:

Kurt Münger
Head Strategy / Communications FOCP
+41 31 322 55 83

Published by: MIZ Security on 28.05.2008 at 14:20:01
Host City | Berne | Special topic | IKAPOL Intercantonal police operations | Training and exercises | Assistant service operations of the army | Actors | Federal Office for Civil Protection | Fire brigade | Police corps | Cantonal police | Berne CaPo | Municipal police | Berne MuPo | Ambulance services | Swiss Army | Permalink