Pay attention!
On Wednesday, May 14
- All mobile phones located in Estonia will be sent two SMS text messages: before noon an advance notice about the testing of emergency alert channels, and in the afternoon, at around 15.00, about the sirens being activated. The content of the messages sent at the exercise is that these are emergency alert test messages of the exercise Hedgehog. The sender of the message will be EE-ALARM for owners of an Estonian SIM card, or +372 5950 0000 for foreign SIM-cards. The message also contains a feedback link.
- An emergency alert test message will be sent through the mobile applications “Ole valmis!” and “Eesti äpp”.
- A chyron with the emergency alert test message will appear on the ETV and ETV+ television channels.
- A chyron with the emergency alert test message will appear on the err.ee web page and app.
- At 15.00, a siren network will be activated across the country. The sound of the siren consists of a one-minute signal with a rising and falling tone, repeated at least three times with 30-second pauses. Altogether, the sound of the sirens will last for about 4 and a half minutes. You can listen to the sound of the siren from here: https://www.olevalmis.ee/en/public-warning-system-known-as-ee-alarm
- Important! The activation of the emergency alert is a test, there is no actual threat, and no real-life situations will be played through! Notify people close to you as well, especially children and elderly family members, so that they would know it is a test, not an actual threat.
The objective of testing the emergency alert system is to give the residents of Estonia a first real life experience of how the state notifies people of threats and what the emergency alerts look like in reality. All messages contain the information that this is a test.
If an emergency alert has to be given in case of a real event, the state always uses multiple channels to forward it. The number of channels and the scope of the alert depend on the severity and extent of the situation. Activating the sirens is the most extreme tool of emergency alerting in real life, and is only used in an immediately life-threatening situation, i.e. in case of a major accident or a military attack.
More information on emergency situations can be found on the web page kriis.ee and can be inquired from the state helpline 1247. Instructions for different situations can be found on the “Ole valmis” app and the web page www.olevalmis.ee/en
