For your safety!

Civil Defense Day in Tyrol: What you need to know

(Bild: Foto 2021 von www.ChristianSchwier.de)

Saturday is Civil Defense Day in Tyrol. Test warnings will be issued for both sirens and smartphones/mobile phones. Don't worry, there is no danger.

On Civil Defense Day, civil defense sirens will not only be tested nationwide: The population will also be informed about the meaning of the siren signals and sensitized to civil protection. This year, the new AT-Alert population warning system will also be tested throughout Austria for the first time on Civil Defense Day.

Procedure on Civil Protection Day
On Saturday, four different signals will be heard during the siren test warning between 12:00 and 12:45: "Siren rehearsal", "Warning", "Alarm" and "All-clear". In Tyrol, TIWAG also carries out the annual flood wave test alarm at its storage power plants in Sellrain-Silz and Kaunertal.

(Bild: RAMSZL Werner (BMI-I-C-10-b))

New AT-Alert warning system
At the same time as the siren test at 12 noon, the AT-Alert cell phone test warning is triggered by the Federal Ministry of the Interior for the whole of Austria. From 12.45 pm, the AT-Alert cell phone test alert is triggered a second time for the whole of Tyrol by the provincial warning center.

(Bild: © BMI)

Both test triggers are carried out at a high warning level, meaning that the test messages are received by all cell phones connected to a radio cell in Tyrol. The AT Alert test messages will be received for 30 minutes in each case. It is possible for test messages to be received multiple times, including from other provinces, particularly at the borders of the provinces.

Civil protection test alert and tidal wave test alert
Austria has a well-developed warning and alert system, which is operated by the Federal Ministry of the Interior together with the offices of the provincial governments. The number of civil defense sirens throughout Austria is around 8,300, making Austria one of the few countries capable of issuing a nationwide siren warning. In Tyrol, 1,025 sirens are currently available for alerting.

The maintenance of these siren sites is carried out by the respective local communities and the Tyrolean Fire Brigade Association. The warning and alerting system is operated by the province of Tyrol.

As part of the civil protection test alarm, TIWAG also carries out the annual flood wave test alarm at its storage power plants in Sellrain-Silz and Kaunertal. The so-called low-frequency sirens (typhoons) will be heard in the communities of Silz, Ötz, Sautens, Haiming, Kaunertal, Kauns, Ried, Prutz, Faggen, Fließ, Grins, Landeck and Zams.

Preparation through correct stockpiling
Civil protection also means preparing yourself for an emergency. Unexpected events - such as natural disasters or power cuts, but also prolonged illness - can lead to supply bottlenecks in your own household. In an emergency, it is too late - stockpiling must be done preventively in advance. Everyone should therefore take precautionary measures for themselves and their family.

 Civil Protection Day should therefore be used to ensure that everyone is prepared for an emergency. In principle, every household should be able to get by without shopping and electricity for a week. There are two options for stockpiling: Either you regularly use up the food you have stored and buy more on a regular basis, or you build up a special stockpile.

In addition to food and drink, a good household stockpile also consists of other important items for emergencies: in addition to a flashlight and spare batteries, a battery-operated radio and spare batteries or crank radio should be available for emergencies. This can be used to receive information on what to do and current developments. Important and personally prescribed medication and first aid equipment should be available for medical care. In the event of an evacuation, important documents should be summarized in a folder and ready to hand. Finally, personal hygiene and toiletries should not be forgotten when stocking up. You can find more information on how to stock up in an emergency HERE.