Annual Test of the Public Warning Systems: Sirens and Mobile Alerts Will Sound Today

Today, the alert channels will be tested at 12 o’clock – this means that the sirens will sound and a test alert will appear on your mobile phone.

Once a year – on the first Wednesday in May – the National Police and the Danish Emergency Management Agency test the alert channels.

The “old” sirens will sound, as they always have. Additionally, a test alert will be sent to all newer mobile phones, and you don’t need to download any app to receive it. Authorities call it S!RENEN, and it has a unique sound and vibration, clearly differentiating it from regular messages like SMS and push notifications.

The sound from S!RENEN is an intense, high tone with occasional short pauses. It is accompanied by a unique vibration.

Simultaneously with the test of the physical sirens and S!RENEN, the system for SMS alerts for the deaf and hard of hearing will be tested.

“We test the alert channels to ensure they function as they should and that people trust them. Last year, we tested S!RENEN for the first time. This year, we expect more people to receive the test alert on their mobiles. Therefore, we strive to disseminate information about the test as widely as possible to avoid causing unnecessary concern,” says Lars Aabjerg Pedersen, Head of Communication and Alerting at the Danish Emergency Management Agency.

You can read more about S!RENEN at Sirenen/en

You can read about the public warning systems and what to do when it’s not a test at Beredskabsstyrelsen (.pdf-file)