Hessen is preparing: trial alarm on warning day on March 13th!

Hessen is preparing: trial alarm on warning day on March 13th!

On March 13, 2025, a Hessenweit Warning Day will take place, which begins at 10:15 a.m. with a trial alarm. The aim of this initiative is to sensitize the citizens to the various warning agents and alarm signals and at the same time test the technical warning infrastructure. The special focus is on the use of sirens, the Warn app Hessenwarn and the new Cell Broadcast system, which sends warnings directly to smartphones in emergencies. According to fulda.de , the sirenal arms will be heard for one minute each, with the trial alarm at 10:15 a.m.

In Fulda, the siren network will be tested on this day, which is currently being rebuilt and expanded. Since July 2024, old sirens have been exchanged for newer models, and other locations for sirens are intended to improve the area coverage. The Fulda fire brigade points out that not all sirens may be able to give a signal on March 13, since the conversion is still in progress.

goals of the warning day

The nationwide warning day, which takes place all over Germany, serves to increase the acceptance and knowledge of the population through warning systems. In this context, Interior Minister Roman Poseck emphasized the importance of these systems in order to draw people aware of dangerous events. In Hesse there is a warning via regional media of counties and independent cities, which should ensure the local distribution of information.

The Hessenwarn warning app is already used by around 821,000 users and offers information about dangers such as bomb finds, large fires, severe weather warnings and terrorist attacks. In municipalities without a siren signal "Warning of the population", the signal "fire alarm" is also used, which also indicates the need for a precautionary measure.

Details on the siren signal

The different siren signals have specific meanings. The signal "Warning of the population" is represented by a one-minute upset and decongestant howling tone, while the signal for the all-clear can be heard as a one-minute continuous tone. These acoustic signals should help the citizens to quickly recognize the type of risk and the corresponding measures, as is also recorded in the detailed description of hessen.de

In order to ensure an effective warning system, the use of modern technologies such as Cell Broadcast is of great importance. Cell Broadcast enables the direct transfer of warning messages to compatible mobile devices, but these devices must be switched on and not in flight mode in order to be able to receive the messages. It is important that older citizens and adolescents are also informed about these systems.

Overall, the warning day helps to strengthen the awareness and responsiveness of citizens in emergency scenarios. The regular testing of these systems and techniques is crucial to increase the safety of the population in the long term, as well as further information on the website of the BBK and the Interior Ministry NRW.