In hazardous situations and emergencies, the authorities warn the public of a direct and imminent danger to the population with a general alarm signal and an emergency warning. Today, the system is tested, just like on many Mondays before.
Today, the public warning signal system is tested at 12:00, noon, across Finland, following the decades-old practice where the system is tested on the first Monday of each month.
The audible test sign is a continuous steady alarm sound that lasts seven seconds. Testing doesn’t require any measures from the public.
According to the Helsinki Rescue Department, the test signal differs from the one used in real emergency situations. “The public warning sign used in real situations is a one-minute ascending beep (7 seconds) and a descending beep (7 seconds) or a warning announcement,” the rescue department noted in a statement.
In addition, according to the rescue department, the public warning signal is always accompanied by an emergency warning which is broadcast on all radio channels and, if necessary, displayed on national TV on YLE’s, MTV3’s and Nelonen’s teletext page 112 and in television programs as running text on top of the screen.
