Alarm in the Allgäu - You should know these siren sounds

Especially in rural areas, the vast majority of people are very familiar with the siren signal of a normal fire department alarm. There is no danger for the general population in this case. But what if there really is a serious threat situation? The corresponding siren signals are largely unknown. We provide a brief overview. Siren Alarm: Fire Department Alerting In most regions of Germany, fire departments are nowadays ordered into action via the so-called silent alarm. This is done without large parts of the population noticing the alarm. The advantages are obvious: on the one hand, the emergency forces that are needed for the respective emergency situation can be specifically alerted. On the other hand, this reduces the number of onlookers at incidents. In some cases, however, the emergency forces are still alerted via a siren signal. This is a three-second continuous tone with a 12-second pause between the siren tones. In some municipalities this siren alarm is tested regularly. Siren alarm: warning the population When warning the population, the siren emits an ascending and descending wailing tone for one minute (formerly air alarm). This siren tone warns, for example, of terrorist attacks, floods or severe storms. If you hear this siren sound, the following procedure applies: Locate building Close windows and doors Switch on radio/TV Switch off air conditioning and ventilation Follow instructions of authorities Inform neighbors Do not block emergency call unnecessarily Siren alarm: NBC alarm In the case of the NBC alarm, a continuously rising and falling wailing tone sounds, which is interrupted twice for fifteen seconds each. After a pause of 30 seconds, this sequence is repeated. The NBC alarm sounds, for example, in the event of the use of nuclear warfare agents, an incident in chemical factories or nuclear power plants, or the release of the hazardous substances. Siren alarm: all-clear A siren tone is also provided for the case of an all-clear. This is a one-minute continuous tone without interruptions. However, it is important to know: Since the end of the Cold War, many communities in Germany have dismantled their sirens. A nationwide siren alert in Germany is no longer possible. Instead, the authorities now rely on other alerting options. Warning the population via television and radio In the event of major threats to the population, information is provided via warnings on television and radio. The best known of these is radio announcements. These are often broadcast in the event of major fires - usually in conjunction with a request to keep windows and doors closed. Warnapps NINA and KATWARN Warnapps are becoming increasingly popular in Germany. These can be used to inform large sections of the population quickly and accurately about imminent or actual dangers. In Germany, there are various corresponding apps for cell phones and tablets. The best-known of these is the NINA app (emergency information and news app of the federal government). The corresponding warnings are played out regionally via this app. The same applies to the KATWARN app, which has also been used in Austria since 2017. Comprehensive warning only with the help of the population To ensure that the alerting of the population works as well as possible, everyone should participate. The advice "Inform your family, acquaintances and neighbors" does not come for free. In spite of all the warning possibilities, not everyone always notices the imminent danger. Therefore, you should inform other people about the respective warnings. Siren alarm on Thursday On Thursday, May 12, the sirens will be wailing in Bavaria. The reason for this is a state-wide test alarm. Read more about it in the corresponding article.