Fire brigade in Switzerland

The fire brigade in Switzerland is actually an umbrella term for thousands of volunteer fire brigades, organised by individual councils. Although professional firefighter departments do exist in some big cities, most fire brigades are local services staffed by volunteers. Emergency fire services can be reached by calling 118.

What to do in case of a fire in Switzerland

In the event of a fire, every second counts. In Switzerland, the words “alert, rescue, extinguish” are a shorthand for the standard safety protocol, as follows:

1. Alert: Call the fire service on 118 and alert other people at risk. You should always call the fire brigade in the first instance, to avoid wasting valuable time. You’ll need to provide some information about your location, the fire, and the situation. 
2. Rescue: Rescue other people and animals, if possible, but do not put yourself in danger. You should also close doors and windows if you can, to try to contain the fire. Stay indoors if stairs or corridors are filled with smoke. 
3. Extinguish: If you can, fight the fire. You should only attempt to extinguish very small fires yourself, and only within the first few minutes of a fire, using things like a fire extinguisher, fire blanket or spray. If you cannot extinguish it, leave the building immediately. 

You can find more tips on what to do in the event of fire on the BFB website.

Fire services in Switzerland

Fire services in Switzerland are provided by a patchwork quilt of different fire brigades, including both professional fire services and so-called voluntary fire brigades. 

Professional fire services

In some areas of Switzerland, namely major cities like Zurich, Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and St. Gallen, fire services are provided by a professional fire brigade. These services do not rely on volunteers but on professional firefighters who are employed full time. 

As of 2021, there were around 17 professional fire services in Switzerland. 

Voluntary fire brigades

Unlike other emergency services, the vast majority of fire brigades in Switzerland are staffed by volunteers. These voluntary fire brigades (also known as militia fire brigades) are organised on a local level by councils and are specific to each area. Most of the volunteers have regular day jobs but are on call to fight fires if needed. 

As of 2021, there were around 1.300 voluntary fire brigades in Switzerland, with around 85.000 signed-up volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering, reach out to your local brigade. 

In many cantons, adults (both Swiss and foreign) are legally obliged to serve in their local fire brigade. If they do not serve, the canton can charge the person a substitute fee, just like with military service. 

However, in practice most fire services have an adequate number of volunteers, and so many cantons do not levy these fees. You can see an overview on the Treuhand Suche website.

Role of the fire brigade in Switzerland

Although firefighters are primarily there to put out fires, it is estimated that only 20 percent of their time in Switzerland is spent battling blazes. Firefighters also have many other responsibilities that include:

• Flood protection around lakes and rivers
• Environmental protection around farmland
• Domestic emergencies and gas leaks
• Fire safety talks in schools
• Protection concepts for adverse weather on roads and mountains