Rehearsal for an emergency

Sirens are sounding today as a drill for emergencies

Only a few people know the different alarm signals for an emergency. For this reason, an Austria-wide exercise is taking place today(Bild: P. Huber)

Today, Saturday, more than 8000 sirens sounded throughout Austria between 12:00 and 12:45. The civil defense test alarm checked the technology - and was intended to remind the population to know the different signals in order to be able to react quickly and correctly in an emergency. A warning signal was also sent to all smartphones in the country.

Let's start with a test: how many different siren signals are there? According to a survey conducted by the Austrian Civil Defense Association, those who guess one are also among the 43 percent who can at least roughly classify the "alarm" signal. When it came to the "all-clear" signal, only 27% of the 2000 people surveyed in the Marketagent study were able to do so. The younger generation under 30 in particular has clear gaps in their knowledge. In total, there are five alarm signals in Austria.

Sirens as the central pillar of the warning system
"Sirens are a central pillar of our warning system - but only those who know the signals can act quickly and correctly in the event of a disaster," emphasizes Andreas Hanger, President of the Austrian Civil Protection Association. "The annual test alarm is therefore more than just a test - it is an important opportunity to raise awareness."

The Austrian siren signals

• Siren test - 15-second continuous tone
• Fire department alarm - 3 x 15-second continuous tone
• Warning - constant continuous tone of three minutes
• Alarm - ascending and descending wailing tone lasting one minute
• All-clear - continuous tone lasting one minute

Sirens are not just an issue once a year: every day they serve as an important instrument for alerting fire departments, often in combination with modern digital systems. In the event of a disaster - such as last year's floods - the civil defense signals are used together with the AT-Alert system to warn the population quickly and comprehensively.

The sirens are also indispensable for the fire departments these days, explains Robert Mayer, President of the Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association. According to Mayer, in addition to modern systems, they offer a reliable and proven way of raising the alarm quickly in the event of an emergency. "But they also have a second, vital function: to warn the population. It is therefore crucial that people know the meaning of the different signals and behave correctly in the event of an emergency," emphasizes Mayer.

Multi-level warning system for Austria
Austria now relies on a multi-stage warning system, which is considered a model throughout Europe. While other countries - such as Germany - currently have to make massive investments, Austria has always had a comprehensive and well-maintained siren network, which is supplemented by new digital systems. Since last year, AT-Alert has been available as an official and free warning channel that delivers messages directly to smartphones based on location.

Sirens and AT-Alert are not mutually exclusive, but complement each other perfectly.

Andreas Hanger, Präsident des Österreichischen Zivilschutzverbands

"Sirens and AT-Alert are not mutually exclusive, but complement each other perfectly," says Civil Defense President Hanger. "This allows us to reach people via several channels simultaneously, reliably and quickly." Anyone who knows these five signals can react immediately in an emergency and call up instructions on what to do via radio, television, internet or AT-Alert.

Further information on the detailed procedure for the civil defense test alarm and the information hotlines of the federal states can be found here.