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meIt’s a cacophony of the strident tones Germany faces on Thursday. It will consist of a one minute continuous tone, one minute rising and falling howling tone, and another one minute continuous tone. Five minutes will pass between the mermaid orchestra, which will be heard on 38 speakers in the town of Hamm, for example.
At least that is what the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (BBK) wants, with the first “Warning Day” nationwide on September 10 at 11:00 a.m. M. To rehearse the emergency throughout the country. What happens if the earth shakes in Germany, if the power fails throughout the country or if terrorists attack the country?
The federal and state governments want to jointly raise awareness about precisely these emergencies. Therefore, using all the warning multipliers, as they are called in official German, the population should be put in a state of alarm on Thursday as a test, via radio stations, billboards, sirens or even trucks with loudspeakers. WELT explains what Germans need to know and how good the Federal Republic’s warning systems are for emergencies.
Why is there a “day of warning”?
“The preliminary considerations for a common warning day go back a few years and have nothing to do with an acute danger situation,” clarified the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Relief at the request of WELT. Rather, a joint appointment is ideal for testing the alert infrastructure in Germany as a whole and increasing acceptance among the population.
The implementation was decided at the interior ministers conference last summer. “It has been shown that people in crisis situations mainly draw on what they know and what they have already learned,” explains BBK President Christoph Unger.
“For effective alerting, it makes sense if the warnings are transmitted through known and trusted channels and thus experience a higher level of acceptance.” Therefore, the warning day will take place annually from now on and always on the second Thursday of September.
Anyway: Due to the corona pandemic and the tense geopolitical situation, civil protection has become even more explosive and relevant in recent months. The BKK refers to heat waves in 2018 and 2019, floods but also attacks in Halle last year and in Hanau this year.
Despite Corona’s uncertainty, the alert day “with the information provided there could, in our opinion, contribute to a greater sense of security in the population,” explains the authority upon request. The specific date is based on the fact that in most of the republic, school has already started again after the summer holidays, so the authorities assume that they will reach as many people as possible. Only in Baden-Württemberg will the holidays last until September 12 this year.
What are Thursday’s warnings about?
Actually, the alert day serves mainly to raise awareness among the population. Also, in real emergencies, a national alarm should only go off in some situations. Much more, processes that are used in isolated crisis events should be practiced.
The list of warnings that the federal and state governments have published in advance and in which warning devices could actually be used is correspondingly long. It includes natural hazards, dangerous weather conditions and fires, as well as accidents at chemical plants, large-scale traffic disruptions and supply failures, but also the spread of pathogens, radioactivity or armed violence and terrorist attacks, either through public attacks. targeted or indirect cyber attacks.
The BBK argues that when and where such emergencies occur cannot be predicted in sufficient time for the competent authorities. However, in the case of a long-term flood forecast, this is different.
However, information could also be disseminated quickly through alert channels in case of emergency. What that means is explained by the federal and state governments using the example of radioactive radiation. It says: “A warning may contain information on the correct intake of iodine tablets, evacuation routes, collection and contact points.”
Who warns the Germans?
In Germany it is regulated by law who has to give official warning. Depending on the type of danger, there are different authorities. In the event of major events, several authorities issue warnings and information at the same time, for example in the case of evacuations.
Several federal authorities, such as the German Meteorological Service or the Federal Office for Information Security, carry out the mandate of the Federal Government. The BBK would inform the population in case of war threats, such as a missile attack.
In addition, the 16 federal states have their own situation centers to help cities and districts in danger that they cannot cope with on their own. Fire and police departments support the federal and state governments with fire protection, accident assistance, and crime prevention in each city. They respond to emergency calls, coordinate operations or issue notices on their own, depending on the technical channels available to them.
How is the alarm tested?
On September 10 at 11.00 a.m. M., All available warning devices will be activated at the state and municipal level, says BBK. The heart of this test is the “modular warning system”. It was developed as a federal institution since 2001 to complement the infrastructure of the federal states and reach the population through all possible channels.
A warning message must first be activated in a situation center. It is then broadcast to all multipliers and then broadcast to all connected end devices. These can be independent media operators, Internet platforms, companies or regional systems. They then provide information on the radio, on the computer, through a mobile phone or tablet app, or even through digital display panels.
Source: WORLD infographic
If you want to be warned as accurately as possible and adapted to your place of residence or work, you must install the BBK warning application “NINA” (emergency information and news application). It includes a wide variety of tips and information for emergencies and is currently used by about 7.6 million people. It has been downloaded much more frequently since the start of the corona pandemic. Alternatively, you can use the “Katwarn” app, which was developed by the Fraunhofer Fokus Institute on behalf of public insurers.
In addition to these digital solutions, loudspeaker announcements and sirens can be used on Thursdays. Since the early 1990s, after the end of the Cold War, the federal government has dismantled around 40,000 sirens, today the population can be warned nationwide with around 15,000 sirens. For these reasons too, the idea of warning has reached its limits.
What regulations apply in my federal state?
Siren signals are enforced across the country, but are far from being used everywhere on Thursday. Local authorities decide which warning devices are used. Sirens are a reliable means of warning, especially at night.
His howl wakes people up when the television, radio and cell phone are on. But that would no longer work in Berlin. “The civil protection sirens of the federal government were dismantled in Berlin in the early 1990s,” says the Senate administration. “We highly recommend warning applications for all dangerous situations,” he continues.
As mentioned at the beginning, the approximately 180,000 residents of Hamm are informed of the test alarm by 38 sirens. Cities are also responsible for whether firefighters and police use loudspeaker vans. Before the test run, citizens should find out which warning devices are actually being tested on city, district, or state websites. The official website warnung-der-bevoelkerung.de provides an overview of the countries.
What happens if the racks collapse in an emergency?
The federal alert system is “reinforced by multiple transmission routes (satellites and terrestrial transmission), and there are also redundant system cores”, explains the BKK. Also, the federal alert center has alternate seating.
Hundreds of “full stations” of the modular alert system were distributed throughout the republic, which could be used if other units fail. With a view to the population, the authority advocates a combination of warnings: “from warning applications to radio stations and trucks with loudspeakers.”
If one system fails, others may be available. For the German citizens themselves, the BBK advises “to use radio devices independent of the network (with crank or battery) or the car radio in case of power failure”.
What should the population do?
Basically, citizens don’t have to do anything on Thursday, apart from watching the roughly 20 minute test. Those who want to listen as much as possible should not only pay attention to the sirens and announcements starting at 11.00 am, but also check if they are being informed about the test alarm on their preferred news channels.
If you want to receive all kinds of information, you must also install the NINA application from the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief. BBK itself says: “With each warning, you will usually receive information about the danger and recommendations on what you can do to protect yourself. In general: stay calm, inform yourself about the media and, if necessary, inform your neighbors. “
What if the Chancellor also has to go to a safe place as evidence? No, the senior first responders explain: “Beyond that, there are no exercises.”
