Rostock (dpa/mv) - The people of Rostock have to be prepared for the wailing of sirens on Saturday. On Saturday (11:00 a.m.), Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s largest city will test the warning of major damage situations or catastrophes using sirens and digital messages. "Quick warning of dangers - even and especially in the middle of the night - can be life-saving," said Chris von Wrycz Rekowski, acting mayor of Rostock (SPD) in advance.
According to the city, the so-called warning day takes place twice a year on the first Saturday of the second and fourth quarters to test the technology. In 2020, the city's existing siren network was expanded so that 19 systems were available throughout the city. By the end of 2022, the network should be expanded again and the last remaining gaps closed.
Appropriate information would also be distributed via emergency apps on smartphones. Examples include the HRO! app specially developed for Rostock and the NINA warning app, which can be used nationwide. Since 2020, the federal government has also been working on a system for sending warning messages as automatically generated SMS messages.
