User:Aidar02/Firefighting in Switzerland

The fire department is responsible for rescue and fire fighting in Switzerland. There are more than 90,000 volunteers and professionals.

The number for the fire service in Switzerland is 118. There are other emergency phone numbers such as 112 and 117 for the police, 144 for medical emergencies.

The motto of the Swiss fire department is "Secure, save, hold, protect, control".

Missions
In Switzerland, the fire department is part of the coordinated public protection service. They have many missions:


 * firefighting ;
 * protection against natural disasters;
 * technological risks (hydrocarbons, biological and chemical risks, etc.);
 * roadside rescue;
 * personal assistance (in support of the health services).

Organisation
The organization of the fire departments in Switzerland, although under cantonal jurisdiction, is overseen by the Swiss Fire Brigade Coordination (SFBC), which represents the interests of the cantons, and the Swiss Fire Brigade Federation (SFVS), which represents the interests of the fire departments.

The number of firefighters in 2013 was 93,867, including 1,297 professionals, incorporated in 1,468 organizations including 14 professional and 218 company corps.

The majority of cantons - with the exception of Zurich, Geneva, Vaud and Ticino - have a legal obligation to serve in a fire department. This compulsory militia commitment generally extends to the entire resident population of a certain age group. This obligation is fulfilled either by being an active member of the local corps or by paying an annual fee.