Urs Sutter, Dipl. Natw. ETH,
Meteorologe; Leiter
Koordinationsorgan Koordinierter Bereich Wetter
(OC KW) bei MeteoSchweiz
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Aim
Providing all interested civil and military organisations with information about the weather.
Partners
Civil weather service:
All Federal Offices involved with meteorology, and in particular the
Federal Department of Home Affairs
- MeteoSwiss (weather, climate, support sections)
- Sections of the Swiss Schools Inspectorate dealing with weather service jobs (including, the Institute for Atmosphere and Climate [IACETH], the Snow and Avalanche Research Institute [SLF])
Military weather service:
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
- Weather service division of the Swiss Air Force
- Weather service division of the Artillery
- Other interfaces (General Staff, armasuisse, National Emergency Operations Centre)
Duties
The weather influences practically all assignments within the context of co-operation in the field of security. Obviously those working on the land and in the construction industry are dependent on the weather, as is transport on land, on water and in the air, not to mention those involved in technological and natural disasters and military operations.
Therefore, it is the general duty of the co-ordinated weather service to ensure information is available for civil and military requirements within the context of co-operation as regards security. Included here are:
- Recording the current weather situation
- Collecting weather data that is necessary for the production of various weather service products
- Composition and carefully targeted dissemination of, amongst other things, weather reports, warnings and hazard alarms.
- Others: climatological products and studies; agrarian and biometeorological products and studies; administration
Responsibility
The Security Steering Committee takes care of the overall co-ordination of the co-ordinated organisations and consequently also the weather service within the framework of the Security Policy. It establishes duties and monitors the activities of MeteoSwiss for the benefit of the co-ordinated weather service.
Normal situation:
Working in co-operation with the Air Force, MeteoSwiss is charged with the task of providing preventive measures to guarantee the weather service within the framework of the Security Policy.
Special/extraordinary situation:
As regards Auxiliary and Active Services, the responsibility for the co-ordination and execution of the weather service lies with Air Force Command. The transition from the civil to the military organisation takes place according to the requirements of the current situation in agreement with the Federal Department of Home Affairs and the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports.
Modus operandi
Every year, the National Committees/Federal Commissions (of the co-ordinated organisations) with their particular sub-groups submit an activity report that is approved by the Security Steering Committee. The Committees and Commissions are themselves responsible for organisational concerns and for internal communications and co-ordination. Extended co-ordination takes place as a result of joint conferences (NSK management). Th co-ordinated organisations issue technical instructions and take care of internal training.
Organisation
The Security Steering Committee, which is made up of the most senior executives of the strategically relevant organisations, is responsible for co-ordination at Federal level.
Taking care of co-ordination is handed over to special co-ordination bodies, Federal Commissions and individual Federal Departments. The organisations and departments affected are represented on the co-ordination bodies.
Strategic co-ordination is handled at VBS General Secretariat level within the context of the Security Policy.
Services
- General weather report for the media, telephone 162 and Internet, METEO 0900 information service
- Meteorological hazard warnings, depending on the time of year and requirements: heavy precipitation, black ice and snowfall for traffic routes, danger of forest fires, frost, strong winds/storms, etc.
- Special products for special user groups, e.g. for civil and military aviation, for military headquarters and civil administration, etc.
Tools/measures
- People deployed: Staff of MeteoSwiss, Mil Wet D, Art Wet D
- Co-ordination conferences
- Meetings, reports, working groups: predominantly participants from MeteoSwiss and from the Swiss Air Force, etc.
Projects
- Improvement of forecasts and warnings regarding possible effects
- Renewal and expansion of the meteorological monitoring network
- Smaller projects according to the annual programme
Formation and previous development
Since the Second World War, the effective co-ordination of military and civilian organisations has become more and more of an important issue. The conception of the Ministry of Defence in 1973 formed the basis for the co-ordinated services and specialist organisations. Up to 1998, the Central Ministry of Defence, which has since been replaced, was responsible for co-ordination as the cross-departmental unit dealing with Security Policy concerns. In the meantime, the Co-ordinated organisations and cantons unit of the GS VBS took care of co-ordinated services/organisations. Today, the new organisational unit "National Security Co-operation" is responsible within the Security and Defence Policy ("SIVEP") in the VBS General Secretariat.
Future development
Co-ordination within the context of national security co-operation between the various partners is of increasing importance, because more agreements will have to be made between the Federation and Cantons, and between state and private organisations. It can be assumed that the co-ordinated organisations will have to deal with horizontal (Federal Administration) and vertical (Federation, Cantons, Communes, private organisations) technical co-operation to a greater extent than previously. It is against this background that the NSK is currently checking how the structures of the co-ordinated organisations must appear in the future, so that these co-operation tools could, if need be, be integrated into an organisation with a modular structure (for special and extraordinary situations) at VBS/Federation level.
Basic principles
- Report 2000 on the Security Policy of Switzerland
dated 7 June 1999
- Decrees on the Co-ordinated services (partial)
- Parts of LOGV/Draft MG
- Art. 119 National security co-operation:
¹ The Federal Council caters for comprehensive and flexible co-operation between the armed forces and civil authorities that are responsible for internal security.
² It co-ordinates the civil and military measures for the prevention and combatting of threats of strategic significance, as well as the handling of disasters and other large-scale emergency situations.
³ It ensures training and information, as well as the ongoing checking of the effectiveness of measures in co-operation with the various partners.
Decree on the co-ordination of the weather service and the avalanche service within the context of overall defence dated 26 June 1975
Address
Directorate for Security Policy, DDPS Federal Palace East Wing, 3003 Bern
hans-peter.probst@gs-vbs.admin.ch
tel.: +41 31 324 40 26 fax: +41 31 324 40 44
Providing all interested civil and military organisations with information about the weather.
Partners
Civil weather service:
All Federal Offices involved with meteorology, and in particular the
Federal Department of Home Affairs
- MeteoSwiss (weather, climate, support sections)
- Sections of the Swiss Schools Inspectorate dealing with weather service jobs (including, the Institute for Atmosphere and Climate [IACETH], the Snow and Avalanche Research Institute [SLF])
Military weather service:
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
- Weather service division of the Swiss Air Force
- Weather service division of the Artillery
- Other interfaces (General Staff, armasuisse, National Emergency Operations Centre)
Duties
The weather influences practically all assignments within the context of co-operation in the field of security. Obviously those working on the land and in the construction industry are dependent on the weather, as is transport on land, on water and in the air, not to mention those involved in technological and natural disasters and military operations.
Therefore, it is the general duty of the co-ordinated weather service to ensure information is available for civil and military requirements within the context of co-operation as regards security. Included here are:
- Recording the current weather situation
- Collecting weather data that is necessary for the production of various weather service products
- Composition and carefully targeted dissemination of, amongst other things, weather reports, warnings and hazard alarms.
- Others: climatological products and studies; agrarian and biometeorological products and studies; administration
Responsibility
The Security Steering Committee takes care of the overall co-ordination of the co-ordinated organisations and consequently also the weather service within the framework of the Security Policy. It establishes duties and monitors the activities of MeteoSwiss for the benefit of the co-ordinated weather service.
Normal situation:
Working in co-operation with the Air Force, MeteoSwiss is charged with the task of providing preventive measures to guarantee the weather service within the framework of the Security Policy.
Special/extraordinary situation:
As regards Auxiliary and Active Services, the responsibility for the co-ordination and execution of the weather service lies with Air Force Command. The transition from the civil to the military organisation takes place according to the requirements of the current situation in agreement with the Federal Department of Home Affairs and the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports.
Modus operandi
Every year, the National Committees/Federal Commissions (of the co-ordinated organisations) with their particular sub-groups submit an activity report that is approved by the Security Steering Committee. The Committees and Commissions are themselves responsible for organisational concerns and for internal communications and co-ordination. Extended co-ordination takes place as a result of joint conferences (NSK management). Th co-ordinated organisations issue technical instructions and take care of internal training.
Organisation
The Security Steering Committee, which is made up of the most senior executives of the strategically relevant organisations, is responsible for co-ordination at Federal level.
Taking care of co-ordination is handed over to special co-ordination bodies, Federal Commissions and individual Federal Departments. The organisations and departments affected are represented on the co-ordination bodies.
Strategic co-ordination is handled at VBS General Secretariat level within the context of the Security Policy.
Services
- General weather report for the media, telephone 162 and Internet, METEO 0900 information service
- Meteorological hazard warnings, depending on the time of year and requirements: heavy precipitation, black ice and snowfall for traffic routes, danger of forest fires, frost, strong winds/storms, etc.
- Special products for special user groups, e.g. for civil and military aviation, for military headquarters and civil administration, etc.
Tools/measures
- People deployed: Staff of MeteoSwiss, Mil Wet D, Art Wet D
- Co-ordination conferences
- Meetings, reports, working groups: predominantly participants from MeteoSwiss and from the Swiss Air Force, etc.
Projects
- Improvement of forecasts and warnings regarding possible effects
- Renewal and expansion of the meteorological monitoring network
- Smaller projects according to the annual programme
Formation and previous development
Since the Second World War, the effective co-ordination of military and civilian organisations has become more and more of an important issue. The conception of the Ministry of Defence in 1973 formed the basis for the co-ordinated services and specialist organisations. Up to 1998, the Central Ministry of Defence, which has since been replaced, was responsible for co-ordination as the cross-departmental unit dealing with Security Policy concerns. In the meantime, the Co-ordinated organisations and cantons unit of the GS VBS took care of co-ordinated services/organisations. Today, the new organisational unit "National Security Co-operation" is responsible within the Security and Defence Policy ("SIVEP") in the VBS General Secretariat.
Future development
Co-ordination within the context of national security co-operation between the various partners is of increasing importance, because more agreements will have to be made between the Federation and Cantons, and between state and private organisations. It can be assumed that the co-ordinated organisations will have to deal with horizontal (Federal Administration) and vertical (Federation, Cantons, Communes, private organisations) technical co-operation to a greater extent than previously. It is against this background that the NSK is currently checking how the structures of the co-ordinated organisations must appear in the future, so that these co-operation tools could, if need be, be integrated into an organisation with a modular structure (for special and extraordinary situations) at VBS/Federation level.
Basic principles
- Report 2000 on the Security Policy of Switzerland
dated 7 June 1999
- Decrees on the Co-ordinated services (partial)
- Parts of LOGV/Draft MG
- Art. 119 National security co-operation:
¹ The Federal Council caters for comprehensive and flexible co-operation between the armed forces and civil authorities that are responsible for internal security.
² It co-ordinates the civil and military measures for the prevention and combatting of threats of strategic significance, as well as the handling of disasters and other large-scale emergency situations.
³ It ensures training and information, as well as the ongoing checking of the effectiveness of measures in co-operation with the various partners.
Decree on the co-ordination of the weather service and the avalanche service within the context of overall defence dated 26 June 1975
Address
Directorate for Security Policy, DDPS Federal Palace East Wing, 3003 Bern
hans-peter.probst@gs-vbs.admin.ch
tel.: +41 31 324 40 26 fax: +41 31 324 40 44
