Nationwide Warning Day on 14 September: Ströer to transmit test warning through its communication infrastructure in public spaces

This year's nationwide Warning Day will take place on 14 September from 11 a.m. as a test of the national warning infrastructure. The aim of Warning Day is to test the central Modular Warning System (MoWaS) of the federal government and the associated internal processes for sending a warning message at warning level 1, as well as to carry out a technical test of all directly connected warning equipment and warning multipliers.

At 11:00 a.m., the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) will broadcast a warning message to all warning equipment connected to the MoWaS, such as digital city information systems, broadcasting, warning apps and cell broadcasting. The municipalities supplement the warning channels of the MoWaS with regional warning equipment – such as loudspeaker announcements and sirens – to warn residents. At 11:45 a.m., the nationwide MoWaS warning will be broadcast by the BBK.

Since 2018, Ströer’s digital city information systems have been integrated into the federal government's satellite-based Modular Warning System (MoWaS). As a result, they serve as official channels alongside broadcasting and warning apps for the dissemination of warnings. MoWaS classifies warnings into three levels: hazard alerts (e.g. timely bomb disposal), hazards (e.g. critical amount of heavy rain) and extreme hazards (e.g. acute flood). Depending on the level, the different warning channels interrupt their programme or integrate the warning into their normal messaging.

In 310 cities throughout Germany, 80 per cent of Ströer’s digital city information systems have already been integrated into the warning system. On Warning Day, the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) will trigger the warning and the all-clear via MoWaS, which will be displayed entirely automatically on Ströer’s integrated city information systems.

In addition to the national agreement with the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, the Federal Criminal Police Office and support in the search for missing children, Ströer has further regional and local agreements with cities, municipalities and fire service and police departments across Germany that have the need for a warning multiplier. For example, this year the company already supported Warning Days in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. In cooperation with the cities, Ströer already started digitisation in public spaces a few years ago. Thanks to its digital portfolio, the company has developed into an important partner for urban information networks in the public space, thus making its contribution to the municipal vision of a smart city.

“The major challenge in warning the population is reaching as many people as possible in their different life situations and habits with warning messages and the corresponding recommendations for action. It’s important to address people through as many senses as possible. We believe that combining cell broadcasting or siren signals with visual information on our digital media platforms strengthens this approach in public spaces and can quickly guide citizens in emergency situations,” says Alexander Stotz, CEO of Ströer Media Deutschland GmbH.

Ströer’s goal is to help cities become more sustainable and smarter. Ströer has the know-how and the infrastructure to initiate local, sustainable change and to push the development towards a smart city by building sustainable and digital infrastructure solutions.

The nationwide warning day was held for the first time in 2020 and is to take place annually on the second Thursday in September.