The test alarm for crises apparently did not work equally well everywhere on Thursday morning. The digital warnings on cell phones were largely successful, but not entirely problem-free, Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) gave an initial assessment. There were occasional delays.
The experiences on site are now being collected and evaluated in detail, said Herrmann. “Where concrete grievances become apparent, we consistently investigate these in coordination with the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (BBK).” At the same time, Herrmann criticized the federal government for investing too little in sirens. Sirens have been abolished in many places over the past few decades.
As part of a large-scale warning day, sirens blared in many cities and towns around 11 a.m. on Thursday morning and warnings were received on cell phones. Some people reported on social media that their cell phones only vibrated and there was no loud warning tone. According to the ministry, this was because only a level two warning was deliberately triggered.
There are a total of three warning levels for population warnings: danger information, danger and extreme danger. In the event of actual danger, the alarm is intended to prompt the population to turn on their radios and pay attention to announcements. The warnings on cell phones run either via warning apps such as Nina, Katwarn and Biwapp or via so-called cell broadcast. Cell Broadcast is a cellular service that sends alerts directly to your phone if you have the feature enabled.
In addition to sirens and warnings on cell phones, during the current warning day, according to the ministry, citizens were also reached visually via information boards in train stations, local public transport and in city centers. “A diverse warning mix of sirens, radio announcements, digital city information boards, warning apps and cell broadcast is essential in order to reach as many people as possible quickly in an emergency,” says Herrmann.
Warning signals also sounded in other federal states. The warning day was part of a nationwide campaign by the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), the interior ministries of the states and the municipalities. The warning day was introduced in 2020 to raise people’s awareness of warnings and to check the technical functionality of the various warning devices.