Testing in all of NRW Emergency warning sirens to sound at 10am this morning
BONN · At 10am this Thursday morning, the local warning sirens will be tested in all NRW municipalities at the same time. In Bonn, 55 sirens will be tested for their functionality on this "Warning Day NRW" introduced by the State Ministry of the Interior.
At first, the civil defense test siren will sound continuously for one minute, which would be the sign for "all clear" in the event of a real emergency. After that, there will be a one-minute ascending and descending sound to test the "Warning" signal, which would indicate a dangerous situation in the event of a real emergency. Then the continuous tone for "all clear" will sound again. In case of a real emergency, citizens are advised to make their way to closed rooms and shut all windows and doors. As well, they would be advised to pay attention to loudspeaker announcements from police and the fire department as well as announcements over radio Bonn / Rhine-Sieg. If necessary, informing the neighbors is also advised.
The warning app "Nina" (emergency information and news app of the federal government) will be included in the test. It will be tested centrally by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia during the trial alarm on Thursday. With the “Nina” app, fire and rescue authorities can warn citizens of major fires, accidents with hazardous substances or similar mishaps. If you have installed "Nina", the sample alert message for the set location or the current location is displayed directly on your smartphone.
The purpose of the civil defense siren test and “Warning Day NRW” is to sensitize the population to the topic and to give citizens information and tips so they can react properly and help themselves in case of a real emergency. In Bonn, the warning sirens have been tested twice a year on Saturdays up to now. The “Warning Day NRW” will occur regularly from now on, with sirens tested on the first Thursday in March and the first Thursday in September.
More information can be found here.
(Orig. text: Bernd Linnarz / Translation: Carol Kloeppel)
