Sirens and SMS via cell broadcast - this is how it goes on December 8th in Leipzig

Great exercise for emergencies

Sirens and cellular broadcasts – this is how the warning day ends

Sirens are also checked on the day of the alarm. There are still very few in Saxony.

As an exception, the federal and state governments are testing their alert infrastructure on December 8th. In addition to the siren, new technology must also be used. LVZ answers the most important questions about exercise at scale.

Leipzig. On a nationwide warning day, the federal and state governments want to check alarms and technical operations as part of a joint exercise Thursday. But what is actually happening concretely? And why not all Saxony municipalities participate in this exercise? LVZ answers the most important questions.

How does Day Alert work?

On December 8, starting at 11 a.m., a beta warning will be sent to all so-called warning multiplexers such as application servers and radio stations connected to the federal government’s Modular Alert System (MoWaS). These complications forward the test warning so that it can be received via TV and radio as well as smartphone apps such as Nina. Warnings are also distributed on Deutsche Bahn platforms and trains, on websites, on social media and on digital city display boards. In addition, alarms available in regions and municipalities, such as sirens and megaphone carts, can be triggered at the same time. At 11.45 am the all clear will be broadcast on the same channels. Information is provided on the siren signals in force in Saxony Published.

What’s new this time?

The cellular broadcast method is used for the first time. To test this system, an exceptionally warning day is held in December. Usually, the main workouts are held annually on the second Thursday in September. This process, already proven in the United States and Japan, allows warning messages to be distributed to mobile phones in mobile phone cells in potentially dangerous areas without the need to install any application. Mobile users will have to receive an SMS from their mobile service provider beforehand. A maximum of 30 seconds must elapse from the time the alarm is triggered to the warning message on the terminal device with information on the source of the danger and instructions for action.

Can anyone receive cellular broadcast alerts?

No, for technical reasons not all mobile phones are able to receive these messages. The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance has one on their website Compatible devices overview released. To be able to receive cellular broadcast messages, the smartphone must also have the latest updates and must not be in flight mode.

Do all municipalities of Saxony participate in the Day of Warning?

It is voluntary for municipalities and provinces to test their alarms. For this reason, according to information from the Ministry of Interior, it is possible that local alarms will not be used in all municipalities and cities. But in the Free State, all 10 provinces and three independent cities will participate, she said when asked. However, the Home Office does not have a complete catalog of alarms available locally. In this regard, no conclusive statement can be made as to which of these would probably not be used. Citizens can obtain detailed information from provincial offices, municipal and city administrations as well as local civil protection authorities.

Why is such a large-scale exercise necessary?

Technical processes in warning condition as well as the warning devices themselves can be checked in this way in order to identify and eliminate weak points. And of course, it’s also a way to make people aware of these warnings. The day of the first alarm two years ago already came with the sober realization that there are very few sirens in Germany and that mobile phone warnings are also needed to warn the population of the dangers.

What are the results of the first warning day in 2020?

The Federal Government has launched the Siren Support Program for 2022. Of this, 4.3 million euros have been made available to the Free State of Saxony. According to the Ministry of Interior, 292 sirens were built or upgraded with this money. More than 3,200 sirens are currently operating in Saxony to warn the population. But even this is not enough. So Saxony has set up its own siren support program with a volume of about 3.2 million euros over the next two years in order to further improve the alarm options for the population, according to Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU). The goal is to set up to 300 new sirens. “However, this will not be enough to fully cover the free state,” says Schuster. “We hope for more siren funding from the federal government, which plans to provide another €30 million for siren funding in the federal states over the next few years.”

How many sirens are missing in Saxony?

According to the Home Office, the number of sirens still needed depends on the assessment of autonomous regions and cities regarding risk areas and local, topographical or demographic conditions. It was said that only independent neighborhoods and cities could make a final assessment of this. The city of Leipzig, for example, still lacks a siren as a warning device in the city area, and thus continues to rely on loudspeakers as a proper warning tool. However, a rough estimate of need in the Free State can be derived from Saxon grant applications submitted to the Federal Government’s Siren Program. Saxony had a total of €4.3 million at its disposal, but grant applications totaled about twelve million euros.