System on the test bench

Siren test in Austria – and a premiere

(Bild: P. Huber)

The sirens - 2450 of them - are wailing again: on Saturday, the warning system in Austria will once again be put to the test. And there will also be a premiere.

These are the signals: At 12 noon, the "siren test" signal will sound as usual. The sirens will sound for 15 seconds. At 12.15 p.m., the "Warning" signal will then be broadcast. This is a three-minute continuous tone and means "dangerous situation". At 12.30 p.m., an ascending and descending wailing tone will be audible for approx. one minute. This is the "alarm" signal and means that danger is imminent. The all-clear is then given at 12.45 pm. A one-minute continuous tone will be heard.

Two alarm messages
In addition, the so-called AT-Alert system will also be triggered for the first time throughout Austria on Saturday: At 12 noon, the Federal Ministry of the Interior will trigger the AT-Alert for the first time throughout Austria, and at 12.45 pm the state warning centers of the nine federal states will trigger the AT-Alert for their state territory.

The "AT-Alert" is based on so-called cell broadcast technology. This allows alerts to be sent via the mobile network without the need to register or install an app. This also ensures that no personal data is requested or used.

Audible tone even in silent mode
The receipt of an "AT Alert" message is signaled on the cell phone by a conspicuous acoustic tone. Even if the cell phone is switched to silent mode, the "AT Alert" message will be heard at full volume. The text message on the screen reads: "Attention test - Austria-wide test activation of civil defense signals via sirens and test activation of AT-Alert."

AT-Alert" was also used several times during the flood disaster in addition to the existing warning systems.