With the annual siren test, Austria’s new disaster warning system, “AT-Alert,” was also triggered nationwide for the first time on Saturday as a trial. The test alerts were carried out by the federal states and the Interior Ministry, just like the siren test, at noon via mobile phone. While 99.43 percent of all sirens sounded outdoors, mobile phones received two loud acoustic signals accompanied by text messages in German and English.
“Attention Test – Nationwide test activation of civil protection signals via sirens and test activation of AT-Alert” could be read on mobile phones. At the highest alert level, the alarm could not be silenced. Those who did not wish to receive the trial warning had to switch their phones to airplane mode or turn them off.
AT-Alert is a supplement to the nationwide siren warning system. Authorities can send regional or nationwide warnings through mobile network operators. The system is based on the mobile technology “Cell Broadcast,” an independent message transmission technology. Text messages are sent to mobile phones logged into the affected area. Possible warnings include dangers such as extreme weather events, natural disasters, impending floods, or wildfires.
Alongside the mobile warnings, the annual nationwide civil protection test alarm also took place. During this, the three signals “Warning,” “Alarm,” and “All Clear” were broadcast. Each year, the test alarm serves to verify the technical systems of the warning and alarm system and to familiarize the population with these signals and their meanings. This year, a total of 8,356 sirens were tested for functionality, with 99.43 percent (8,308 sirens) working perfectly, as summarized by the Interior Ministry on Saturday afternoon.
In Burgenland (325) and Vorarlberg (230), all sirens functioned without issue. In Upper Austria, there were three failures (99.80 percent of the 1,468 sirens were operational), in Lower Austria six failures (99.76 percent of the 2,450 sirens worked flawlessly), in Tyrol three failures (99.71 percent of the 1,025 sirens functioned), in Salzburg four failures (99.23 percent of the 518 sirens were operational), in Carinthia eight failures (99.09 percent of the 882 sirens activated), and in Styria 22 failures, resulting in 98.28 percent of the 1,278 sirens being operational. In the federal capital, only two of the 180 sirens failed, resulting in a rate of 98.89 percent.