This type of organization is found particularly in rural areas, where the budget and number of personnel are too limited for a single commune.

In other words, it intervenes as soon as the 1st echelon or immediate emergency partners (police, fire brigade, medical services) can no longer manage a situation due to a lack of resources or manpower.

Sources[6][7] The first civil protection-type organization was created by the Physician General Georges Saint-Paul, who had been deeply affected by the atrocities of World War I.

[6] The idea of Les Lieux de Genève came to me in Soissons during the winter of 1914-1915, and was confirmed in my mind in 1918 when I saw part of the population of the Somme under fire.The aim of this association, recognized by the French Chamber of Deputies in 1935, was to create neutralized zones where civilians, especially the most vulnerable, could find refuge.

In the 1950s, after World War II, the vision of threats changed radically, notably due to the use of the atomic bomb.

For their part, Swiss parliamentarians debated the establishment of a nationwide protection structure to enable the population to cope with the growing threats around the country, in particular the risks generated by the Cold War.

[8] A special feature of the Swiss civil protection system was the creation of fallout shelters for all inhabitants.

Civil protection plays a major role in disaster relief, as it did during the Gondo landslide on October 14, 2000, or during severe storms such as "Lothar" in December 1999 or "Andrea" in January 2012.

In March 2020, for the first time since its creation in the 1950s, it was formally mobilized by the Federal Council and cantonal authorities as part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

If a male citizen is not serving in the army, he must pay a military tax equivalent to 3% of his annual salary, but at least CHF 400 per year.

The same applies to members of the Civil Protection forces, but with a 4% reduction for each day of service, up to a maximum of 60% per year.

Swiss women can also become members of the CP, either by volunteering, or by going to a recruitment center if they so wish after the army presentation day (compulsory for all adult male citizens).

This includes CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) certification, knowledge of safety rules, hazards and the types of situations encountered, stopping low-level fires, and use of CP shelters.

An OPC/ORPC is organized as follows: Comprising the commanding officer, his deputy and the members of the EM, i.e. the heads of the assistance, support, logistics and PCP domains, and the various heads of the driving assistance sections (monitoring, telematics, logistics coordination, Atomic-Chemics protection - AC protection), its role is to manage the OPC/ORPC, prepare future exercises and interventions for the community, check the status of personnel and equipment, and manage the administration (if a PC Office does not exist within the municipal administration).

On the other hand, city cantons such as Geneva let recruits leave every evening, due to the short distances they have to travel to get home.

[11] Since the introduction of the new uniforms, the ranks and badges are made in the same way as those of the Swiss army, with Velcro on the chest, on the left of the basic equipment jacket, and on the fleece.

Each function has its own color, to easily identify the role of the on-call personnel, as shown on the shoulder straps or nameplate.

In addition, although the term "PC" is often used orally to refer to civil protection, it officially designates the command post.

Example of official wording: "The PC Lausanne has deployed a PCi on the Place de la Gare".

These regions are headed by a steering committee (CODIR), on which sit representatives of the associated communes; it is responsible for taking the most important decisions in terms of organization, finance and management.

A regional commander, with the rank of major or lieutenant-colonel depending on the size of the staff he leads, is responsible for technical aspects and leadership.