Leverkusen tests warning system: sirens and cell phone alarm on March 13th!

Leverkusen tests warning system: sirens and cell phone alarm on March 13th!

On March 13, 2025, an important event is coming up in Leverkusen: the national warning day. In Leverkusen, a warning is triggered by the state government on this day at 11 a.m. This is done via various mobile warning systems and the newly introduced Cell Broadcast. This event takes place four times a year and serves the proactive review of the processes for the rapid warning of the population.

On warning day, the warning messages are not only played via smartphones using warning apps, but also via the mobile network. There is also a siren warning in the urban area at 11 a.m., coordinated by the control center of the Leverkusen fire brigade. The population is informed by three different signal tones: a last tone of one minute signals the all-clear, an upset and decongestant howling is a warning.

Details on the warning and all -clear

The all -clear takes place directly at 11:20 a.m. During this time, a announcement for a trial warning at 11:05 a.m. is also broadcast on the local radio, followed by an all -clear at 11:20 a.m. The trial warning is an important part of the emergency provision to ensure that the technology and processes work smoothly everywhere.

A new component in this warning system is the Cell Broadcast. On February 23, 2023, this was transferred to effective operation and enables warning messages to send to all mobile phone devices in a radio cell that is set up for this. Warning messages sent via Cell Broadcast are limited to 500 characters and contain recommendations for action. For additional information, however, the recipients should also use other sources of information such as the Warn app Nina or local radio stations.

Cell Broadcast: functionality and advantages

The Cell Broadcast service works regardless of a high advancement of mobile phone discussions, which makes it particularly effective. The service enables anonymous warnings and only sends text messages, images or cards are not transmitted. The sender of the warning message is given in the Cell Broadcast message, and there is also a link to the federal war portal, which provides detailed warning texts.

The introduction of Cell Broadcast was a reaction to the flood disaster in July 2021 and was strengthened by legal foundations such as the new § 164a of the Telecommunications Act and the mobile phone warning regulation. The implementation is technically managed by the Federal Network Agency, which has issued the DE-Alert directive. The cooperation between the federal and state authorities and telecommunications companies played a crucial role in the introduction of this modern warning system, which is both efficient and data protection.

The various warning channels, which include Cell Broadcast, also includes radio, internet, warning apps and sirens, a comprehensive security system is created. In these complex times, it is very important for the population to be informed quickly and reliably. The trial warnings in Leverkusen and the nationwide initiatives are steps in the right direction.