Emergency Meeting Points (EMP)
If Basel, Riehen, Bettingen, or the entire canton are affected by a major incident and both telecommunications and electricity are down for an extended period of time, the emergency meeting points will be put into operation as the first points of contact for the public. Read here when it is advisable to look for the nearest emergency meeting point and where to find it.
What are Emergency Meeting Points?
Emergency meeting points are the first point of contact for the public in the event of a major incident, disaster or emergency. There are 17 of them in the canton of Basel-Stadt, easily recognizable by the national EMP sign (see below). If conventional means of communication such as radio, television, or telephone are out of order for a prolonged period and you require urgent assistance, you can make emergency calls from these locations. In the event of a prolonged power outage, the emergency meeting points will be staffed by personnel who will provide information and further instructions.
You can recognize the emergency meeting points by this sign:

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Information brochure on Emergency Meeting Points
In Basel-Stadt, emergency meeting points were made available to the public in mid-August 2025. The public was informed about the locations and everything else in a brochure that was distributed to all households in the city of Basel and the municipalities of Riehen and Bettingen. The German version can be downloaded here:
Locations of Emergency Meeting Points
There are 17 emergency meeting points spread across the entire canton – 8 in Greater Basel, 6 in Lesser Basel, 2 in Riehen, and one in Bettingen. You can find the EMP nearest to your place of residence on Maps BS.
Emergency Meeting Points in Switzerland
Locations of Emergency Meeting Points in SwitzerlandOverview of the locations of emergency meeting points in Switzerland as reported by the cantons to date.
Website of the Federal Office for Civil Protection (Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz BABS)The BABS assumes a coordinating role, in consultation with the cantons.
When should you go to an Emergency Meeting Point?
- Only go to an emergency meeting point if telecommunications and electricity have been down for a long time. At the EMP you will get further information or instructions.
- Do you need immediate help (e.g., medical emergency, fire, etc.), but you cannot make an emergency call by phone? Go to an emergency meeting point and call for help using the emergency telephone (117 for the police, 118 for the fire department, and 144 for the ambulance service).
- In the event of imminent danger, there’s a general siren alarm sounding a regular rising and falling tone. Turn on the radio or television and select a Swiss Radio and Television SRF program, or get information via Alertswiss.
- Please follow the instructions issued by the authorities. If the above channels are no longer available, you will receive instructions from the authorities via a channel appropriate to the situation.
Time of activation
The emergency meeting points are only active in exceptional circumstances (major incidents, disasters, emergencies). Their use depends on the local risk situation and may vary from region to region.
The emergency meeting points are only staffed in the event of a prolonged failure of communication systems and on the directive of the authorities.
Please note: Leaving your house or apartment is not always the best option!
Further information sources in the event of extraordinary events
Initial information in the event of a power and telecommunications failure:
- Always pay attention to alerts from Alertswiss first.
- Turn on the radio or television.
- Follow the instructions given by the authorities.
Stay informed with Alertswiss
Personal emergency
If all means of telecommunication fail, (e.g., due to a power outage), you can request help at any EMP using the emergency telephone.
- Proceed as follows:
- Make sure that the emergency numbers 117 for the police, 118 for the fire department, and 144 for the ambulance service really no longer work via telephone.
- Get support from your neighbors.
Before you leave, get clear about answering the following questions:
- Who is reporting?
- Where did it happen?
- What happened?
- How many people are injured?
- Are there any other dangers?
- Go to the nearest emergency meeting point and make the emergency call there.
- Don't panic, stay calm!