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Godzilla rises from the floods and moves towards a big city – Federal disaster relief agencies announce this not-quite-serious horror scenario on the first warning day across Germany. The film will open on Thursday at 11am sharp. Then the sirens sound all over the country. Anyone wondering what is going on can get information on digital display boards on the street, on the internet or on their mobile phone through a warning app, among other things.
Then learn: No need to worry, everything is just a test alarm! But it is necessary, says the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (BBK) in Bonn. President Christoph Unger says: “We think it will be more uncomfortable.” Keyword climate change. “There are concrete experiences, like the flood of the century in 2002, the countless torrential rains in recent years.” Even earthquakes are conceivable, for example in the bay of Cologne. The consequence of humanitarian aid agencies: “People have to be better prepared.”
What is Warning Day 2020 about
For the first time in 30 years, sirens will sound again across the country. Many, especially the young, cannot do anything with it today. That’s why the siren’s wake-up effect should be tied to recommendations for action, Unger says. According to a decision by the Conference of Interior Ministers, the national alert day will take place on the second Thursday in September of every year starting in 2020. This should better publicize the uniform siren signals at the national level. In this context, Unger likes to quote Goethe: “He who provides is the master of the day.”
Who spreads the warnings
At eleven o’clock, all warning multipliers must receive and broadcast a test warning. Authorities, public broadcasters and a large number of private media companies count as warning multipliers. Also included are Deutsche Bahn and warning app operators. The Federal Office requests that the “Nina” warning application be downloaded to their smartphones. Currently 7.6 million people use the app. In parallel with the multipliers, communal warning devices such as sirens and loudspeaker trucks are activated at the state level, in districts and municipalities. The test warning can also appear in warning signs.
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This is how it is noted
The alerting process differs by federal state: in Berlin, for example, there have been no sirens since the 1990s. In the case of a warning through a siren, a wailing tone should be used increasing and decreasing from a minute across the country. The go-ahead must be given at 11:20 am by a continuous tone of one minute. Radio and television stations should interrupt their current programs as a warning; the warning can also be shown on television.
What can be warned about
Thursday is only an emergency test. Such an emergency can be anything: natural hazards, dangerous weather conditions, gun violence, accidents at chemical plants, or even power outages. Possible scenarios also include pathogens. Mandatory orders can also be issued through alert systems.
Why the 2020 Warning Day Matters
Isn’t that all a scare tactic? Unger denies that: “It is not about causing fear and hysteria. That would be counterproductive ”. But neither should the population be lulled. The fact is that the Germans are not very familiar with the subject so far, that carries risks. If you do not have reservations at home, you can panic and buy toilet paper or food, like at the beginning of the crown crisis.
Unger advises citizens to always have supplies at home for ten days. In their eyes, that has nothing to do with scare tactics. Sometimes it feels like the character Kassandra from Greek mythology. “She always pointed out things and nobody believed her.”
The warning day has nothing to do with Corona. “The plans for this warning day are already two years old, so we had no idea about Corona. But of course it has been reinforced by Corona. For example, we have expanded our Nina warning application to include information channels about Corona.” During the pandemic, it had become an important tool for warning and informing the federal government.
In reality, a nationwide warning is unlikely. In the event of a terrorist attack, poison cloud, or power outage, warnings would only be given regionally. But nothing can be ruled out, says the Bonn-based federal office. And it’s always good to know how and where to get information quickly. Regardless, Godzilla experienced a nasty surprise in the BBK commercial, thanks to the warning app Nina. (dpa / AFP)
