Wiesbaden (dpa / lhe) - Hessen is expanding the network of siren locations. The Ministry of the Interior in Wiesbaden announced on Friday that around 70 sirens in districts and municipalities would either be newly installed or modernized. Around 870,000 euros flowed into this. The money comes from a funding program of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance. Hesse would have a total of around 6.4 million euros available from this pot. With part of the money, more than 250 sirens have already been technically upgraded in a first step.
The financial support goes to the municipalities. They are responsible for warning citizens and deciding whether to use sirens to raise the alarm. According to information from the Ministry of the Interior, around two thirds of the cities and municipalities currently have sirens. There are a total of 4500 of them.
The country sees sirens as an important part of an analogue and digital "warning mix". In contrast to warning apps, for example, they cannot be put away or switched off. In addition, sirens are audible in larger areas due to their volume. A nationwide warning day is planned for autumn. A warning day two years ago revealed a number of weaknesses in warning systems.
