On Tuesday, November 22, the State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) will carry out a test of alarm sirens across Latvia, activating them for three minutes, as well as will check the performance of contracts concluded between SFRS and electronic media (radio, TV).
“Alarm sirens are designed to alert the public in the event of a natural or technogenic disaster or threat of one, but information about the danger is transmitted via electronic media (radio, TV). Such an inspection is necessary to verify the technical readiness of the national early warning system – the technical condition of the alarm sirens, possible damage or malfunctions of the sirens, as well as the performance of the contracts concluded between the SFRS and the electronic media (radio, TV). We test these elements of the early warning system every year to be ready for emergency situations," says Colonel Ivars Nakurts, Head of the SFRS Civil Defence Department.
On November 22, from 10.00 to 10.20, alarm sirens will be activated for three minutes across the country. Residents have no reason to worry, as this is just another test of the sirens. If you do not hear the sirens during the test, do not worry, as in emergencies where sirens are not audible or deployed, other means of notification may be used, such as public address through loudspeakers of the emergency services and their cooperation partners. The SFRS invites hotel managements to inform their foreign guests about the upcoming alarm siren test to avoid unnecessary worries.
Mobile operators will send an SMS to Ukrainian civilians in Latvia informing them that a planned siren test will take place on November 22. We invite the public and the media to share the attached poster, which is in Ukrainian, so that as many Ukrainian civilians as possible can learn about this test and avoid unnecessary anxiety.
There are 164 sirens in Latvia, positioned so that the sound signal can be heard within a radius of about 1.5 kilometres (the height of the sirens, the nature of the built-up area, the noise from everyday urban traffic and industrial facilities, and meteorological conditions affect the audibility of the sirens). The SFRS reminds that if residents have not been warned in advance about the siren test, when they hear the alarm siren signal, residents should switch on their televisions and radios (Latvian public media – Latvian Television channels LTV1 and LTV7, or Latvian Radio broadcast channels) or other devices, such as mobile phone radio receivers, to receive information about the reason for the siren sounding and the action required by residents.
In accordance with the Cabinet Regulation No 440 of 8 August 2017 "Procedure for Establishment, Operation and Financing of the National Early Warning System", the SFRS carries out an alarm siren readiness test to check the operation and technical condition of alarm sirens, as well as the cooperation with the media (radio and TV).
Further information: SFRS Prevention and Public Information Division, e-mail: prese@vugd.gov.lv
