The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) is a specialised federal government civil protection organisation. It can be contacted around the clock throughout the year and is capable of stepping into action within an hour. The NEOC is a division of the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP).

The main task of the NEOC consists in maintaining an overview of the situation which is relevant for protecting the population. For this purpose, it shares information both on a daily basis and in an emergency with the relevant cantonal and federal authorities, the operators of telecommunications, energy and traffic networks as well as the international organisations and situation centres of neighbouring states. In an emergency, the NEOC is the first line of contact of the cantons for all civil protection matters. In the event of major incidents, the NEOC informs the Federal Civil Protection Crisis Management Board and supports it in its work.

In the event of incidents involving radioactivity, major chemical accidents, dam ruptures and natural hazards, the NEOC takes on additional tasks. As far as radioactivity is concerned, the centre is authorised to implement immediate measures to protect the population.