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questions and answers
Warning day 2020: why sirens are sounding across Germany on Thursday
An alarm siren is on the roof of a house in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The 2020 warning day will take place for the first time throughout Germany.
© Jens Büttner / DPA
This Thursday it will be loud in Germany at 11am sharp. On Alert Day 2020, among other things, sirens will sound across the country. For what reason and what exactly will happen, read here.
Regardless of whether it is terrorist attacks or natural disasters such as floods, heat waves and earthquakes: if there is a threat, the population must be informed as soon as possible. Authorities rely on an arsenal of warning devices, from the well-known siren to the special NINA app. This Thursday everything will be tested in Germany for the first time. Answers to the most important questions:
What happens on the day of the warning?
A nationwide test alarm will go off Thursday at 11:00 am All existing warning devices must be tested. These include, for example, warning applications, news on radio and television, but also sirens. The all clear continues at 11.20 am
Why is the warning day September 10?
In most parts of the country there is school again, so you can assume it will reach as many people as possible. The warning day will take place every year on the second Thursday in September.
Will mermaids howl everywhere too?
There will be many sirens howling, but the local authorities will decide exactly which warning devices are used.
Some of the mermaids date back to World War II. Why are they still necessary today?
Sirens are a reliable means of warning, especially at night. His howl wakes people up when the television, radio and cell phone are on.
So why do you need other warning devices?
Sirens can only announce that there is imminent danger, but not what. Vehicles with loudspeakers can be used to warn the public in a much more specific way. And through the NINA app, the federal emergency news and information app, the warning even goes straight to the mobile phone.
How does this application work?
NINA was developed by the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (BBK) in Bonn and is linked to the so-called modular alert system. This is the federal government’s satellite alert system that broadcasts BBK warnings and local warnings from control centers. NINA also receives weather advisories from the German Meteorological Service and flood advisories.
What is the meaning of warning day 2020?
“People in crisis situations have been shown to draw primarily on what they know and what they have already learned,” says Christoph Unger, Chairman of BBK. So it makes sense to practice something like this. There are also a growing number of natural disasters, for example the 2018 and 2019 heat waves, terrorist attacks like in Halle or Hanau or currently the corona pandemic. These events have shown that an alert system is important.
Is there a general recommendation on how to behave in an emergency?
The BBK 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, read the media and inform your neighbors if necessary.”
