On September 10 at 11 a.m., all sirens in Germany will sound a warning signal. Radio and television broadcasts will also be interrupted. It is the first nationwide warning day since reunification.
During the school years, the fire alarm was sounded at least once a term. Year after year, this was fueled by the hope that perhaps this time, for once, the fire drill would take place during a math lesson. For many people, these interruptions to the school day are among the only experiences they have had with such warning signals. In Germany, this is set to change from this year – with the introduction of the first nationwide warning day, which will take place for the first time on September 10. For the first time since reunification, there will be a nationwide test alarm on this day at 11 a.m. with all available warning options. This means that not only will all sirens sound a warning signal, but radio and television broadcasts will also be interrupted. The official channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and digital billboards will also issue warning messages. Loudspeaker vans will also be used. Anyone who uses the warning app “Nina”, the federal government’s emergency information and news app, will also find out about the nationwide trial warning via the app. The Conference of Interior Ministers decided on the nationwide warning day, which was announced back in June. From this year onwards, it will be repeated annually on every second Thursday in September. The warning day is intended to help “increase the acceptance and knowledge of the warning of the population in emergency situations and thus strengthen their self-protection skills.”
The first nationwide warning day even has its own website.
