Switzerland is easing an alcohol ban for volunteer firefighters and other emergency workers using heavy vehicles, saying it had led to staffing shortages when crises demanded quick action, especially in smaller towns lacking professional personnel.
Starting on Jan. 1, slightly tipsy volunteer firefighters and off-duty members of so-called professional "blue light" organizations responding to urgent situations will be no longer face punishment - provided their blood-alcohol level does not exceed 0.50 percent, the limit governing other drivers. "This change is necessary as rescue and disaster relief organizations today are increasingly dependent on people who are not on duty or on call," the Swiss Federal Roads Office said in a statement on Wednesday.