Posted on 18 June, 2018
Every first Monday of the month warning sirens sound at noon. Everyone recognises the sound, but is it still sufficiently effective in the current digital world? The current national warning sirens will disappear in 2020.
Commissioned by the Ministry of Justice & Security, the DITSS Foundation in collaboration with Munisense, started developing a warning system that expands the current smartphone project NL Alert.
Warn, alert and inform
Behind the scenes work is being done on a new version of the warning system, that also clarifies the nature of the alarm situation. The system we developed was tested in the center of Eindhoven at the beginning of June. In addition to a number of signaling alarms, spoken messages were also broadcasted.
The loudspeakers can be controlled individually or by using cell broadcasting. Specific alarm messages can be broadcasted very locally - in just one or several streets or neighborhoods. Both residents and passers-by in that area get precise information about the nature of the alarm situation even when no smartphone is available.
Later this month the audibility and intelligibility of the system will also be tested at night. Then it will become clear whether the alarm system is also suitable for awakening people from their sleep and then informing them.
Link to the news article with video by Studio040.nl (in Dutch)