A lot went wrong on the first nationwide warning day three years ago. Sirens remained silent or sounded the alarm late, and warnings on cell phones often arrived late or not at all. Since 2022, thanks to new technology, many more people have been reachable directly via their cell phone – without them having to do anything. How well this works in an emergency will be tested on the day of action on September 14th.
What happens on warning day?
Every year on the second Thursday in September, the Federal Office for Civil Protection, the interior ministries of the federal states and the municipalities test their warning systems. To do this, they trigger reports on various channels at eleven o’clock in the morning. Warnings are given on the radio and television, but also via the Internet, in social networks, on mobile phones and on Deutsche Bahn display boards. Municipalities can also alert via sirens and other local warning systems. At around 11.45 a.m. the all-clear sounded everywhere.
Will she cry or not? Many communities provide information on their homepage about whether and how they will take part in the nationwide warning day.
(Photo: Jens Büttner/DPA)
How does the mobile phone alert work?
There are two ways to get notifications on your smartphone. The first option is apps like “Nina”, the federal government’s official emergency information app. The German Weather Service and private providers also have compatible offers. Since last year, warnings can also be sent directly to citizens’ cell phones without an app – via the Cell Broadcast mobile service. To do this, the cell phone only needs to be switched on and the network is intact; an internet connection is not necessary. However, the operating system should be as up-to-date as possible Some older devices cannot receive cell broadcast messages.
Will sirens wail everywhere – and what do the sounds mean?
No, because participation is voluntary. Many municipalities inform the population in advance whether and how they will participate. Oberhausen, for example, participates with its municipal sirens and explains on its Homepage, what which warning tone means: A sustained, one-minute tone announces the test alarm and then gives the all-clear, in between the rising and falling warning signal sounds for one minute. In the event of a disaster, it would call for people to seek safety and turn on the radio.
What is the purpose of the warning day anyway?
The Federal Office for Civil Protection wants to use this to test the technical warning infrastructure and identify possible gaps. In addition, it is also about making people familiar with disaster warnings. “If you are familiar with the warning processes, you can react better in an emergency,” says the BBK website. In 2021, the once-in-a-century flood in the West showed how catastrophic poor preparations can be: the warnings reached those affected far too late, and 135 people died in the Ahr Valley alone.
However, the day of action was decided before the flood disaster, by the conference of federal and state interior ministers. The date was chosen on the second Thursday in September. The warning day was actually supposed to take place every year from 2020 onwards, but because the first one revealed numerous problems, the second one was canceled in 2021. They wanted to gain time to expand the warning systems. This year’s nationwide day of action is only the third.