The earthquake damage organization is ready for duty
October 2023 – The earthquake damage organization has completed the development of its IT platform and is now fully operational. Damage experts can use new mobile applications to quickly record all damage and event information following an earthquake, as well as estimate the costs for reconstruction. The organisation is thus playing a crucial role in facilitating a swift recovery for both society and the economy in the aftermath of an earthquake.
After a year of preparation and just in time for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13 October, the Schadenorganisation Erdbeben is now ready for operation. Earthquakes are considered one of the most significant risks in Switzerland, as there can be devastating consequences if large earthquakes strike near densely populated areas.
For this reason, a public-private partnership organisation with broad support among the cantons and the insurance industry has been established over the past twelve months. The project, which required intensive cooperation between the Confederation, cantons, insurers and development partners Swiss Re and risktec AG, was completed with the expected functionality as well as on time and within the slated budget.
“The Schadenorganisation Erdbeben helps ensure that the economy and society can recover quickly after an earthquake thanks to the new platform and the organisation’s extensive network of experts,” says Dr Stephanie Eymann, member of the Basel-Stadt government and president of the association.
The leadership and emergency response organisation is activated immediately after an earthquake. The basis for this is the newly developed and internationally unique IT platform. The system utilises data from the earthquake risk model of the Swiss Seismological Service of ETH Zurich to determine the number of buildings that may be affected as well as the number of experts required to promptly evaluate the event.
The platform provides access to all data from the Federal Register of Buildings and Dwellings so that experts have the information required to assess the condition of affected buildings and estimate the damage. The experts involved use two newly developed mobile applications to do this work. To ensure rapid processing, the platform also provides information about the experts needed to deal with the incident, including engineers, architects and construction specialists. Based on this information, the Schadenorganisation Erdbeben can use SMS and email to quickly request support from hundreds of experts.
A systematic and structured approach is key to recording the damage to all buildings. A sophisticated technical process was therefore employed to group all buildings in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein into sectors consisting of 10 to 30 buildings each. Each sector has a unique identifier, consisting of information relating to the canton and municipality coupled with a number. If an earthquake occurs, these sectors are allocated to the damage experts to process.
The earthquake damage organization, in partnership with Touring Club Suisse (TCS) and risktec AG, ensures that the organisation and platform are operational at all times. As one of the leading emergency organisations in Switzerland, TCS provides personnel and logistical support, particularly in coordinating and deploying the network of experts. risktec AG ensures the platform’s operational readiness and provides the technical support required during emergency response events.
About the earthquake damage organization
The earthquake damage organization is tasked with providing comprehensive information after an earthquake in order to assess damaged buildings and provide an estimate of the expected reconstruction and repair costs. The organisation thus plays a crucial role in enhancing the resilience of authorities, the economy and society.
The earthquake damage organization originates from a public-private partnership project. It is funded by the cantons, the Principality of Liechtenstein, cantonal building insurers and private insurers. Specialist units of the Confederation, including the Swiss Seismological Service at the ETH Zurich, the Federal Office for Civil Protection and the Federal Office for the Environment, are also supporting the earthquake damage organization and ensuring coordination with earthquake preparedness measures at the federal level.
For media enquiries:
Thomas Kühni, Managing Director SOE, tel. 031 310 55 99, thomas.kuehni@soe-ods.ch
Rolf Meier, Media Office VKG, tel. 031 320 22 82, rolf.meier@vkg.ch
Sibylle Zumstein, Swiss Insurance Association SVV, tel. 044 208 28 95, media@svv.ch