Vorarlberg to test 230 civil-protection sirens on Saturday

Austria’s annual civil-protection siren test will run across Vorarlberg, the western Austrian state, from noon to 12.45pm on Saturday, with about 230 sirens tested and trial AT-Alert messages sent to mobile phones, ORF reports.

The test is organised each year on the first Saturday in October by the Federal Warning Centre in the Interior Ministry, together with state governments and fire brigade associations. It checks the warning system and familiarises people with the signals and their meaning.

The first sound, at noon, is a 15-second steady tone for the routine siren test. Three civil-protection signals will then follow at 15-minute intervals:

At 12.15pm, a three-minute steady tone signals a warning. In a real emergency, people should turn on the radio or television, follow ORF.at and heed instructions on what to do.

At 12.30pm, a one-minute rising and falling tone signals an alarm. In an emergency, people should seek shelter indoors and follow the authorities’ instructions.

At 12.45pm, a one-minute steady tone signals that the danger has passed. People should continue to follow any further instructions.

AT-Alert test messages will also be sent to phones connected to mobile networks in the affected area. The Interior Ministry plans a nationwide message at about noon, followed by a message from each state. In Vorarlberg, the second message is due between 12.45pm and 1pm.

The alerts will sound even if a phone is set to silent, but will not arrive if it is switched off or in flight mode. The system does not use personal data such as phone numbers, and messages will remain active for about 30 minutes so that people entering the area later can receive them.

All 230 sirens in Vorarlberg worked during last year’s test, making it one of only two states with a 100 per cent success rate. Across Austria, 8,327 of 8,364 sirens tested worked, a rate of 99.56 per cent.

The civil-protection association recommends using the test as a reminder to check whether family members know the signals, whether there are supplies for several days, and whether a torch, battery-powered radio, important documents and medicines are ready.