Today the alarms are ringing all over the country, including in the capital. People should not panic. The authorities are resuming the “Wednesday sirens” project, both to test the technical equipment and to see the reaction time of the intervention forces in the event of a disaster. The public alarm exercise will take place between 10 and 11 am, and the authorities recommend us to keep calm and follow the official information.
By the Observator editorial team on 01.03.2023, 07:33
“During the targeted period, the residents of the capital and those of the country’s counties will hear the “disaster alarm” signal, composed of 5 sounds of 16 seconds each, with a 10-second break between them. We recommend citizens to remain calm and follow the information of the inspectorates for emergency situations”, the IGSU officials sent.
According to them, notification, warning, pre-alarming and alarming are carried out in order to arrange measures to protect the population and material assets, as well as to limit the effects of disasters.
“The most common situations in which the population is alarmed, by means of electric and electronic sirens, occur during floods, when the imminence of floods that endanger people’s lives is signaled. Also, the notification-alarm system is used in the event of technological accidents involving dangerous substances, the breaking of hydrotechnical dams or objects falling from the atmosphere. This method intended for the protection of the civilian population can also be used during armed conflicts”, the IGSU also transmitted.
The meaning of sound signals
According to the institution, by means of these means of alarm, acoustic signals with different meanings can be transmitted or voice messages aimed at certain measures for the community can be transmitted.
IGSU specifies that, in the case of real situations, more information will be transmitted through RO-ALERT messages, the DSU application and other sources of emergency structures, as well as radio and TV stations.
“Regarding the dedicated public alarm equipment, at the level of 2022, the alarming of the population is carried out with a number of 7,539 sirens of different powers, of which 5,389 electric sirens and 2,150 electronic sirens”, IGSU also transmitted.
The institution broke down the situation regarding the operation of public alarm sirens:
- in the centralized system: 3,070 sirens from the county, municipal, city and local level (40.72%);
- in non-centralized system (local from control panels): 4,469 sirens (59.27%).
The authorities remind the meaning of sound signals in case of air attack or disaster:
- The AIR PRE-ALARM signal consists of 3 sounds of 32 seconds each, with a 12-second pause between them.
- The AIR ALARM signal consists of 15 sounds of 4 seconds each, with a 4 second pause between them.
- The DISASTER ALARM signal is composed of 5 sounds of 16 seconds each, with a 10-second pause between them.
- The CANCEL ALARM signal is a continuous sound, of the same intensity, lasting 2 minutes
