Remember this in an emergency

Have the most important things at hand

Elmer recommends always keeping an emergency kit with important government documents or copies on hand. This includes contracts, wills, title deeds, family records and birth certificates. “These are documents that you can get a replacement for if in doubt,” he says. But this is often a tedious and frustrating process.

This is different for personal mementos, photo books, old letters or smaller family heirlooms. “When people leave these things behind, they often grieve for a long time,” Elmer says. It is advisable to store all this in one place, preferably in the attic, basement or garage. “These are things that cannot be changed.”

In the event of an evacuation, the person often does not know how long the absence will last and whether they will be able to return home. Therefore, daily essentials such as cell phones, wallets, ID or passports and laptops should be kept handy. “With computers, things get tricky,” says Elmer. “Therefore, it is recommended to save the most important files in a cloud or copy them to a portable hard disk stored with the most important documents and objects.”

Safety first

According to Elmer, one thing is always central: there must be a scale. “The situation is often underestimated, especially in the event of a fire,” he says. Then you need to leave the house or apartment in a few minutes. “Safety always comes first, even if it hurts.” In a fire, it’s not just the flames that are dangerous., but also toxic carbon monoxide and smoke.

If there is an evacuation because a building is in serious danger of collapsing, or – as in the case of Brienz – an entire village needs to be evacuated, it is essential to consult the emergency services. Elmer says items can only be retrieved from the property when the building or area is released by emergency services. “You should never go back on your own.”

No matter how short or long the evacuation is, Elmer emphasizes that we are in a privileged position in Switzerland. Never be on your own, even if people have to leave everything in their homes in a hurry. “You can never stand on the street with nothing without someone helping you.”