German warning system: how does it work? Easily explained
No matter whether floods or rocket attacks, a German warning system should inform the citizens within minutes. This practical tip shows you how the system works and how you can protect yourself in an emergency.
German warning system: one system is not enough
There was a terrifying news in Hawaii in early 2018. Every resident of the US island state received a text message saying that a missile was on its way to Hawaii. Fortunately, it was a false alarm.
- Such reports of disasters are also possible in Germany. A false alarm cannot be ruled out in this country either. There has never been a case like this.
- The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, BBK for short, is responsible. The BBK works with other institutions. International airspace is monitored by NATO, and missile attacks come from here. The missiles are recognized by means of satellites and radar stations.
- The Federal Office for Radiation Protection monitors the gamma local dose rate measurement network. If there is a noticeably high level of radioactive radiation, it also sounds the alarm. In the event of severe weather, the German Weather Service is the source of warnings.
Warning system in Germany: how are we warned?
Unlike in the United States, we do not receive any SMS warnings in Germany. Unfortunately, this is not possible for data protection reasons.
- If a warning is received by the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, the population is warned using an app, among other things. The NINA app for iOS and NINA for Android currently sends warnings to 2.4 million users in Germany if the worst comes to the worst.
- The Katwarn app for iOS and Android is not from the government. Here too, reports from official bodies such as local authorities and the government are forwarded.
- In addition to the apps, the citizens are of course also informed in other ways. Citizens in the regions concerned are informed immediately via news portals on the Internet, TV stations and radio stations.
- In the worst-case scenario, you should get to safety immediately and without detours. In the event of a possible rocket attack, the safest place is in the basement.
- Note: You must take this into account when creating inventories.
There are always new predictions about the end of our planet. On the next page, you can read when the world is sinking according to the latest findings.