Germany tests war alert systems for first time since cold war era

On September 10, thousands of sirens resonated in Germany in a nationwide emergency warning test for the first time since the end of the cold war. While the country braced itself to the blaring sounds of sirens rang by thousands that test the readiness of people in case of an emergency and outlines guidance in case of a catastrophic situation, many systems failed to work, an AP report confirmed. The silence and nonoperation of the nationwide warning alarm at some places tested after 30 years questioned efficacy in terms of technology. The systems employed the air-raid sirens, smartphone apps, and other devices. 

Germany’s Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance had cautioned the care centers and asylum-seeker shelters, and civilians about the loud deafening noise from alert systems. It had the lecturers at school to explain the kids the situation and wanted civilians to keep their pets indoors. The authorities also warned elders of panic and that the siren could traumatize older people or refugees as it may remind of war.  In major cities such as Berlin and Munich, these alert system sirens were replaced at the end of the Cold War era. The country introduced the push alert systems on the national warning app later on which was named NINA. The alert systems’ sirens that changed pitched was a warning, whereas, a minute-long single tone indicated the end of the emergency. About 86,000 such emergency sirens were installed in Germany in the cold war era, The Guardian reported. 

President of the federal office for civil protection and disaster relief (BBK), Christoph Unger, said in a Guardian report that the alert systems were for the unprepared population, and during the cold war era, the warning signals were used, the explanation, however, was not on Yellow Pages.

["Trial warning nationwide. There is no danger" is written at the first nationwide warning day on an information board in Berlin, Germany. Credit: AP]

[A siren is installed at the fire station in Leverkusen, Germany when all available warning devices were tested nationwide. For the first time in 30 years, Germany was planning a nationwide test of sirens. Credit: AP]

Read: Russia Clashes With Germany And West Over Navalny Poisoning

Read: Germany: Nationwide Warning Test Fails In Some Places

“We wanted to issue the warning only at one place, but several did it simultaneously, and that overloaded the system," Unger said.

AP quoted a German Interior Ministry as saying, “ a technical problem caused the failure and would be investigated comprehensively.”

All alert systems activated at 11 am

While the authorities couldn’t clarify what the cause of the failure of the alert systems at some places might be, the civil protection office said in a statement that it may be due to several people activating the siren at the same time. “A number of places put out the alert all at the same time at 11 o'clock, which should not have happened,” the head of the federal agency, Christoph Unger, told news channel N-TV. A parliamentary state secretary for the Interior Ministry, Stephan Mayer, told a German mass-circulation Bild newspaper that the systems were not used after Berlin Wall reunification, we believed there was no need for sirens anymore.

Read: Moria Migrants: Germany, France Offer To Take In 400 Unaccompanied Refugee Children

Read: Germany Urges EU Members To Support Greece And Take In Migrants After Fire At Refugee Camp