It’s free fall. Since the duration of the obligation to serve was increased from 20 to 14 years, the number of Civil Protection (PCi) personnel has fallen by around 35% in Switzerland, between 2020 and 2021. According to forecasts, they should stabilize by 2030, with a loss of more than 50% compared to 2020. In absolute figures in the canton of Vaud, the number of on-call workers has fallen by half; there were 7,500 in 2020 and there will be 4,000 in 2024. And this worries the authorities.
“This reduction in forces affects the operational capacity and availability of the Vaud Civil Protection (PCiVD), declares the Council of State. At the same time, everything suggests that out-of-the-ordinary events will increase in the years to come, particularly due to climate change.” To continue to fulfill its missions and overcome the effects of the federal law on the protection of the population and civil protection, which came into force in 2021, the PCi-VD must be rethought. The Canton announced on Monday the opening of negotiations with the umbrella organizations of the municipalities.
The contours of the reorganization are still unclear. But the idea is to “bring the entire chain of command together into a single line of command.” The PCi-VD, an essential link in the security chain, is currently made up of ten regional civil protection organizations. “In addition to the capacity to assume the missions, discussions between the partners will also focus on a revision of the Law on the Protection of the Population, in particular to respond to the increase in risks. The objective is to reach an agreement by the end of 2024,” informs the Council of State.
