Faulty emergency sirens now working properly
A test carried out across the country has shown that Switzerland’s emergency sirens are now working properly, say authorities.
The test on Wednesday was the second this year, after the water alarm failed in an annual practice run earlier this year.
+ Read more about the water alarm failure
Sirens are now working 99%, which is within the normal margin for error, says the Federal Office for Civil ProtectionExternal link (FOCP). It added that defective installations would be repaired or replaced as quickly as possible.
Switzerland has some 5,000 sirens for the general emergency alarm, of which 600 can also sound the water alarm. Wednesday’s test included all sirens.
The water siren failure during the first test in February was caused by a software error in the central command system of the sirens, according to the FOCP. But it said this would not have prevented the sirens going off if there had been a real emergency.
As of this autumn, alerts will also be transmitted on smartphone via the alertswissExternal link website, which will also carry emergency information, says the FOCP.
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