Red alert: Siren test on nationwide warning day in MV!

Red alert: Siren test on nationwide warning day in MV!

Today, September 11, 2025, the motto is “Attention!” again. all over Germany, because the nationwide warning day is coming up. Starting at 11 a.m., sirens will sound across the country and warning messages will appear on cell phones. This is also the case in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where around 1,700 sirens are available to warn the population of danger. But reality shows that this system does not yet work across the board. How Wismar FM reported, some regions remain inadequately equipped despite improvements.

The largest cities in the state have different siren densities. While Rostock already covers 93 percent of the population with 30 sirens, 17 sirens are used in Schwerin and 11 sirens in Greifswald. Wismar is also represented with eight sirens, but hardly has the capacity to comprehensively reach all citizens. The situation is particularly striking in Neubrandenburg, where there are no permanent sirens; The population here relies on mobile units that only offer a limited range.

A look at the warning systems

Overall, the districts in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania show large differences in the number of their sirens. There are 320 sirens in use in the Mecklenburg Lake District, while the Ludwigslust-Parchim district has the most sirens with 475. A federal funding program is intended to help expand the sirens, but progress in some areas is falling short of expectations. n-tv points out that there is no siren at all in Güstrow, which makes it even more difficult to warn citizens about danger.

A central goal of the warning day is to test the functionality of the warning systems. Interior Minister Christian Pegel emphasizes the importance of reliable warning systems in civil protection. The test warning is not only provided by sirens, but also via warning apps, radio, television and other channels. In particular, the use of cell broadcast is being tested in this context, even if the government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania notes that no all-clear warnings can currently be sent via this system.

The evaluation and improvement of the systems

The positive news: The activation of the sirens this year apparently worked better than in previous years. But this is a continuous process. The experiences of the warning day will be evaluated at state and federal level and further steps will be taken to improve the system. To this end, citizens are asked to take part in an online survey to give feedback - true to the motto: only those who ask get answers.

In summary, this year's Warning Day shows once again how important it is to stay on the ball when it comes to warning systems. Even though we are on the right track, it is clear that there is still room for improvement to ensure the safety of all citizens. The use and regular checking of the systems are essential so that everyone can be warned in a timely and reliable manner in the event of an emergency.