Civil protection day: At-Alert and siren sample as a safety test ”

Von WOM

This Saturday, October 5th, there will be a special test campaign between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., which will attract attention throughout Austria. Users of mobile phones may get an unexpected text message accompanied by a loud acoustic signal. However, this is not a reason to worry; It is a nationwide test of the new warning system "At-Alert", which is introduced as part of the civil protection day. This year, the activation of modern warning technology is also supported by the regular siren sample, which enables the authorities to efficiently inform the population in the event of disasters.

The test by "At-Alert" is carried out in cooperation with the federal states and the Ministry of the Interior. Otherwise, this rehearsal would be less remarkable without the background of the civil protection day. The warnings sent during the exam time are part of the annual siren sample, which serves to point out the population of the possibilities of warning in an emergency.

What does AT-Alert include?

"At-Alert" is designed as a supplement to the conventional siren signals. It works via mobile phone technology "Cell Broadcast", which means that SMS-like text reports are sent to the mobile phones of people who are in the respective danger area. Citizens can be informed in good time about potential risks such as storms, natural disasters, floods or forest fires. One advantage of this system lies in anonymity; No personal data is required or processed, which increases data protection.

The cell phones do not have to be configured for participation in the test, provided that they have an Android or iOS operating system. Nevertheless, there are some indications for people who do not want to receive acoustic signals: It is advisable to put the devices into flight mode during the test or to switch off completely.

With the renewed warning system, the old "Katwarn" system will expire, which means that citizens can now adjust to the new measurement variables. "AT-Alert" includes various warning levels, whereby the highest cannot be found in the settings and automatically activated on any mobile phone. There are clear requirements for emergencies, and information that is obtained during the tests can help to reduce citizens' fears.

examination of the crisis -proof household

In addition to the testing of "AT-Alert", the civil protection organization stimulates to review its own budget on the civil protection day. Civil Council Councilor Michaela Langer-Weninger and Upper Austria Civil Protection President Michael Hammer encourage everyone to control their security measures, emergency plans and supplies. "If I check my safety devices, the emergency plan and the supply on the Civil Protection Day, I did it all for a year," explains Langer-Weninger.

For this review, a checklist also became at hand, which includes steps such as considerations for supplies, water quality and medical emergency equipment. This contributes to the fact that every household member is well prepared for a possible crisis situation. In this way, the importance of a well -organized and informed household is further underlined.

In summary, it can be said that the civil protection day and the simultaneous testing of the "AT-Alert" warning system are an important step to increase the crisis resilience of the population. There are a variety of measures that are necessary both in private household and on the social level to ensure that everyone is well informed and prepared.

For more information about "AT-Alert" and current warning messages, the website www.bmi.gv.at/204/at-alert/, and the current AT-Alert warnings are on warnungen.at-alert.at viewable.