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The annual siren rehearsal will occur again this Saturday (October 5). At the same time, the “AT-Alert” disaster warning system will be triggered on a trial basis throughout Austria for the first time. “These test activations will be carried out by the federal states and the Ministry of the Interior,” it was announced on Tuesday. Like the siren test, they will occur from around noon to 1 p.m. via cell phone and should “not be misunderstood as actual disaster alerts.”
“Attention test” on the cell phone screen
The AT-Alert test run will be noticeable twice on cell phones on Saturday: A text message will appear on the screen: “Attention test – Austria-wide test activation of civil defense signals via sirens and test activation of AT-Alert.” The cell phone will also emit a loud acoustic signal as a warning tone.
At the highest alert level, this acoustic alarm cannot be silenced. Anyone who does not want to receive the trial warning must switch their cell phone to flight mode or switch it off, for example, while driving a vehicle or at an event, the Ministry of the Interior said in a press release.
Warning of natural disasters
AT-Alert is a supplement to the nationwide siren warning system. Authorities can send regional or nationwide warnings via mobile phone operators. The system is based on cell broadcast technology, an independent message transmission technology. Text messages are sent to cell phones logged into the affected area. Possible warnings include hazards such as extreme weather events, natural disasters, imminent flooding, or forest fires.
Due to how it works, AT-Alert guarantees complete anonymity and emphasizes that no personal data is requested or used.
You do not need to download an app or register to receive alerts via AT-Alert. However, a phone with an Android or iOS operating system (version 11 or iOS 17.4 or higher) is required. You should, therefore, check your device for reception capability and the settings for the individual warning levels.
No warnings in flight mode
In addition to the practice and test warning, there are four other warning levels. The highest warning level (emergency alert) cannot be viewed in the cell phone settings menu. This is activated by default on all cell phones and cannot be deactivated. Older phones that can only receive 2G only receive the highest warning level. No warning is received if the phone is in flight mode or switched off completely.
AT-Alert has already proved its worth during the severe weather events in mid-September. According to the Ministry of the Interior, 15 warnings were sent out by the severely affected federal states of Styria, Burgenland, and Lower Austria. The first test phase also ran smoothly. The old “Katwarn” warning system and associated app will be discontinued after the new system’s launch.
- source: APA/picture: pixabay.com
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