Residents will receive disaster alert test messages on Monday
alarm system
People in certain areas of northern and western Luxembourg will receive SMS as the country continues to test a new disaster warning system.
People in certain areas of northern and western Luxembourg will receive SMS as the country continues to test a new disaster warning system.
In mid-July last year, parts of Luxembourg were hit by heavy floods.
Photo credit: Guy Jarray
People living in the western and northern regions of Luxembourg will receive government text messages on Monday as they continue to test a new system to alert residents in the event of extreme weather or other emergencies.
The government will send ‘no action required’ SMS messages in English, French and German to people living in regions such as Strassen, Bertrange, Mammer, Kopstal and Köllen, the interior ministry said on Friday.
The system was launched in May after the government was criticized for failing to give warning when floods hit entire towns and villages last summer, causing widespread damage and forcing people from their homes. .
The existing GouvAlert phone notification alert system was not efficient as only 15,000 people were believed to have signed up, then Home Secretary Taina Bofferding said. The rest of the population would have had to search the government’s website for the latest weather information.
The new system will send an SMS test message on the first Monday of each month. It is intended to prepare the public for “emergency or critical situations that may affect public safety, such as natural disasters, occupational accidents, and disasters.” attack,” the government said in April.
When the government announced the new measures in March, it said that in the future, a single warning would be broadcast on mobile phones, social media and sirens spreading across the country.
The purpose of the tests is to ensure that the system is working across channels and to identify areas for improvement, the Home Office said.
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