Test of Sirens and Alerts in 22 Municipalities
On Wednesday, May 29, Civil Protection will activate the 50 chemical risk sirens and send alert messages to mobile phones in 22 municipalities in Barcelonès, Baix Llobregat, Vallès Oriental and Vallès Occidental. This drill, which will take place at 10:00 a.m., will cover an area of 500,000 people. The director of Civil Protection, Marta Cassany, has detailed that the objective is to verify the correct operation of the sirens and alerts, to familiarize the population with the warning sounds and to raise awareness of the need to confine themselves in situations of emergency
Location of Sirens
The sirens that will sound are located in several locations, including Barcelona, l’Hospitalet, Cornellà de Llobregat, el Prat de Llobregat, Viladecans, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Santa Coloma de Cervelló, Sant Andreu de la Barca, Martorell, Abrera, Olesa de Montserrat, Esparreguera, Castellbisbal, Polinyà, Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Terrassa, Granollers, Lliçà de Vall, Montornès del Vallès and Parets del Vallès.
Confinement simulation
In Sant Boi de Llobregat, containment drills will be carried out, as it is the Catalan municipality with the largest population in a chemical risk area. Civil Protection technicians have collaborated with the City Council to practice confinement in public spaces such as schools and markets during the test.
Details of the Test
The test will last 15 minutes and will start with sending the alert to mobile phones. During this time, chemical hazard sirens will sound, warning citizens that they must confine themselves. The aim is for the population to identify the sounds of the sirens and know the different signals, in order to make them aware of an emergency situation.
Adaptation for People with Special Needs
The drill is adapted for deaf people, who will receive specific text messages, and steps have been taken to reduce noise for people with autistic disorders.
Evaluation and Citizen Participation
Civil Protection will offer the possibility to participate in a survey about the experience through its website and social networks, with the aim of checking the correspondence between theoretical and real coverage.
