Don't panic!

Tomorrow (Wednesday 1st Feb)  Switzerland will carry out the annual testing of its nationwide civil defense siren system just after lunch – and if you are not expecting it, this comes as quite a shock!

 

The Swiss government maintains a network of around 7,200 sirens across the country as a public warning system for use in case of a national emergency, such as a natural disaster or breakdown of a nuclear power plant.  The sirens were originally established to warn of bomb threat during WWII. They were also relied upon throughout the Cold War when Switzerland feared being caught in the crossfire of a nuclear attack, and has been kept ever since.

 

There are two types of warning sirens. The first, indicating general disaster, is a continuous oscillating siren lasting around a minute. The second, used to warn people who live beneath dams of  impending water-related catastrophe, is a series of 12 bursts of 20 seconds each at ten-second intervals. You can hear samples here.

 

They are tested on the first Wednesday of February each year. The general alarm will be tested at 1.30pm for around half an hour. The water alarm test follows at 2.15pm in applicable areas.

 

However, if you hear the alarm and it’s NOT the first Wednesday in February, we’re in trouble. In the case of the general alarm, the government’s Office for the Protection of the Population (FOCP) advises that you listen to the radio, follow instructions and tell your neighbours to do the same. If you live below a dam and you hear the water alarm, there's no time to wait for instructions – just run!

 

The government is developing a more up-to-date system - a smartphone app that would activate a push notification in case of disaster or terrorism. The Alertswiss system is already in use but a new, more sophisticated version should be ready by the end of this year and will be rolled out across the country in 2018.

Brace yourself for alarm testing day

Today, Switzerland will be alive with the sound of more than 8,000 sirens as the country carries out its annual alarm testing.

Siren testing takes place annually on the first Wednesday of February. Two types of devices will be checked this afternoon, starting with the general alarm at 1.30pm, followed in some areas by a water alarm.

Introduced during wartime, they are now used to alert the population to impending catastrophes, including the water alarm for people living in the area below dams.

Testing is carried out by the Federal Civil Protection Office, in coordination with the cantons, communities and dam operators, the aim being to keep these SFr15,000 ($14,200) high tech devices up to scratch.

When hearing a general alarm for real, people should turn on the radio and listen to the official instructions about what they should do to protect themselves and others. On hearing a water alarm, residents should leave the risk area immediately.

France and Austria each have a network and carry out testing. But Germany dismantled much of its system after the end of the Cold War and has left siren usage up to local authorities. Italy no longer has a network.

The sirens form an important part of the country’s civil protection programme, which also includes the provision of underground bunkers – did you know 95 per cent of the population have access to one?