Switzerland-wide test
Sirens wail on February 1st
On Wednesday, February 1st, the functionality of the sirens will be tested throughout Switzerland. This year information on the siren test is also available in Ukrainian.
Published: 17 minutes ago
The annual siren test will be carried out in Switzerland on Wednesday, February 1 at 1.30 p.m. (archive image)
The Federal Office for Civil Protection (Babs) announced on Friday that there was an increased risk that the siren test would trigger uncertainty and fear among those seeking protection from Ukraine. For this reason, the Federal Office has provided the cantons with information on the siren alarm in Ukrainian so that they can inform the people affected.
At 1:30 p.m., the general alarm signal is triggered by the sirens, a regular rising and falling howling tone lasting one minute. If necessary, the siren test can be continued until 2 p.m. The water alarm is tested from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the latest in the immediate zones below the dams. The signal consists of twelve low continuous tones of 20 seconds each at 10 second intervals.
As in previous years, the Alertswiss channels will also be tested at the same time. The number of Alertswiss users is currently around 1.8 million, which corresponds to around 20 percent of the Swiss population. A notification is then sent to the user’s mobile phone.
If the general alarm sounds outside of an announced siren test, this means that the population is at risk, the Babs continues. In this case, the population is asked to listen to the radio or get information via the Alertswiss channels, follow the instructions of the authorities and inform the neighbours.
(SDA)