Protection of government buildings

All government buildings including the private residences of the federal councilors and Swiss embassies and consulates abroad are granted protection. This protection includes the security of persons within the building, information security, the protection of valuable objects and IT security.

The protection of buildings and information includes the planning and implementation of structural, technical, organizational and awareness measures both in the planning phase and in the event of a real emergency. Other tasks include a strategic alarm system within the federal administration, recording statistics on incidents and advising and looking after the federal security agencies and government personnel.

To protect the official seats of the federal councilors and other buildings designated by the federal councilors, the Federal Security Service’s Property Protection Section operates a surveillance and observation service. The Federal Security Service is also responsible for the security of the federal interrogation centre.

A further important element in the security of federal buildings is the round-the-clock alert centre, which forwards the incoming alarm calls to the appropriate offices, coordinates the initial operations and ensures contact to important decision-makers.