The federal government tests all warning channels once a year. These should be used in an emergency to inform the population about impending dangers. This is what’s going on today and this is what it looks like in Bremen:
What happens on warning day?
The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) issues a warning. This goes to all users of warning apps like Nina or Katwarn. In addition, people using modern cell phones receive an automatic notification via the so-called Cell Broadcast System, which is announced by a loud tone. Warnings are also given on radio and television as well as on city information boards, which otherwise display traffic jams or encourage people to drive carefully. In many places the sirens will also be shrill. Deutsche Bahn also warns. Radio amateurs in Lower Saxony also want to take part. They want to show what important service they can provide with their battery-operated devices if the power goes out in larger areas.
43 sirens were ordered in Bremen, of which only ten have been assembled and installed. So no siren alarms are to be expected across the board. Bremerhaven launched the network with 15 sirens – the municipality pushed ahead with the planning when the money from the federal government was not yet available. There are 93 sirens wailing in the Osterholz district today, and 27 sirens in the Verden district.
When is the warning issued and for how long?
It starts at 11 a.m. However, since the sirens are triggered by the municipal control centers, the sirens may not sound until a little later in some places. The all-clear should then come at 11.45 a.m. However, no all-clear signal is sent via cell broadcast.
Why are we warning again now?
The federal government tests the warning channels once a year, always on the second Thursday in September. Last year, however, the nationwide warning day was set for December 8th because the cell broadcast system was not yet ready. At the time, civil protection officers thought it was important to have this warning device, which was available for the first time, with them during the test.
What do i have to do?
Nothing. However, if you want to actively help ensure that the test is as realistic as possible, you can also inform relatives and friends who may not have received a warning – for example because they do not use a cell phone. The BBK would also be happy to receive feedback. This time, the Federal Office in Bonn wants to use an online survey to find out how many people received a warning via which channel
Why didn’t I hear a siren on the last warning day?
There are not sirens everywhere in Germany because in many places after the end of the Cold War people thought they were no longer needed. Also because many civil protection experts believed that warnings via cell phone networks were sufficient. A rethink has now taken place, which is why new sirens are being installed and old sirens are being repaired. The cell phone network can fail locally, for example if floods destroy radio masts. Participation in the nationwide warning day is voluntary for states and municipalities. So you can decide for yourself whether to press the button to trigger the sirens when the warning from the BBK arrives at your control center.
“The construction of the siren networks was not a consequence of the Ahrtal floods,” says Karl-Heinz Knorr. He is the Bremen state representative for disaster control. The federal government had launched a large funding program for the purchase of sirens a month before the disaster in July 2021.
What siren sounds are there?
The rising and falling howling sound always means: caution, danger! The all-clear is indicated by a continuous tone lasting one minute. Anyone who hears the howling sound in the event of a disaster or attack should turn on their radio or television or look for additional information in other ways. Modern sirens that can also be used to send voice signals are still very rare. The municipalities as operators of the siren networks sometimes also use their own signals for other events, for example to gather members of the local fire department in the event of a fire. According to the Civil Protection Office, however, more and more municipalities are moving away from using sirens to alert the fire department. BBK President Ralph Tiesler thinks this is good. He says: “This makes it clear to the population that it is a warning when they hear the siren sound.”
What is actually warned about in an emergency?
Before a sudden event. Such events could include severe weather, fire, flood or a military attack.
On which cell phones does the cell broadcast warning work?
Cell Broadcast works with modern cell phones that are switched on, as long as they are neither in dead zone nor in airplane mode. In addition, cell phone users should have made necessary updates. However, if users have activated the location on their cell phone, this is not a problem. In this case, the warning should still reach you. Last year, the Warning Day survey showed a cell broadcast coverage rate of 53 percent. “One can assume that more people now have cell phones that can be controlled via cell broadcast,” says Tiesler. At the same time, he caveats: Since no one can know how many users had turned off their devices or were in a dead zone at the time of the warning, he didn’t want to venture a prediction that the proportion would be higher this time.
What has improved after the last warning day?
“The lesson we learned from the last day of warning was that we have to ensure that the server is not overloaded if a lot of people click on the link with information that we send with the warning in Cell Broadcast at the same time,” says he BBK boss Ralph Tiesler.
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2023-09-14 12:13:39
#Nationwide #warning #day #Whats #happening #Bremen
