Berlin. On Thursday at 11 a.m., sirens blared across the country. Only in the capital did they remain silent. These are the reasons.
450 sirens are supposed to be installed on roofs in Berlin to warn the population in the event of a disaster or war – but it is currently unclear when this will happen. According to the Senate Department of the Interior, only around 290 have been installed so far. Not all of these have been approved by the fire service, and some Locations Further adjustments are required, a spokesman said. The “RBB” had previously reported.
Delays in the installation of sirens in Berlin
According to the Senate, the federal government is funding 411 sirens in all Berlin districts to strengthen civil protection. However, their installation has been significantly delayed. They were originally supposed to be in place by the end of 2022. Reasons According to the Interior Ministry, there are supply bottlenecks and a lack of skilled workers for assembly. This also applies to other federal states.
The Berlin Fire Department plans to order the other 39 sirens soon. Funding planned by the federal government. “However, the funding of sirens in the coming years is still unclear due to the discussion about savings in the federal budget,” said a spokesman for the Interior Ministry.
Police union sharply criticizes
On Thursday there was a nationwide warning day. Mobile phone apps were also activated to practice the emergency. In Berlin, however, none of the sirens that had already been built sounded, according to the authority spokesman. The reason: The systems cannot yet be controlled centrally. The federal government still needs to interface from a nationwide warning system to secure digital radio.
For experts, this is a disgrace. “The fact that we Disaster management “The fact that we are not as prepared as we should be in view of the current and future threats is an absolute disgrace,” said fire officer Oliver Mertens, regional chairman of the Berlin police union GdP, which also represents Berlin’s firefighters. “Our federal administrative structures are blocking and delaying the rapid implementation of necessary measures.” It must be clear to everyone that there is no time to lose in this area and that Germany could be hit by a major disaster at any time for which it is not prepared, Mertens continued.
“It was clear years ago that we were reaching our limits both in the acquisition of sites and in installation and maintenance, as is still the case with digital radio, which is a major Gaps “The Berlin Fire Service is incredibly behind on this issue, but we only have limited human resources for this area.” It is nevertheless to be appreciated that at least a few sirens could be activated today. “In this respect, it is good for a change that the majority of our population now relies on their smartphones in many situations,” commented the union representative smugly. “The chance that in the worst case scenario even those who do not carry one will be reached is in any case higher than with our siren infrastructure.” with dpa
