Safe and reliable in an emergency

On Thursday, September 11, 2025, the city of Jena took part in the nationwide warning day coordinated by the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance. The aim was to test the existing warning systems in the area, check technical processes and familiarize the population with the warning signals.

Procedure in Jena

Shortly after the warning was issued by the BBK at 11:00 a.m., the digital sirens were triggered throughout the city. This was accompanied by notices on digital displays on local public transport and throughout the city as well as messages via warning apps and the cell broadcast system. Due to parallel operations, the Jena police were only able to make isolated loudspeaker announcements using patrol cars. The all-clear was given at 11:45 am.

Initial assessment

According to feedback from the specialist fire department, the warning day went according to plan overall. The warning equipment deployed functioned reliably for the most part. Colleagues from the professional fire department were deployed in the city area as "listening posts" to check the sounding areas of some sirens. Individual citizens reported queries about the volume or range of the siren signals, which provided valuable information for further optimization. Unfortunately, many responses did not specify the exact location, which is very useful for a better evaluation. Fortunately, there were only very few uncomprehending citizens who complained indignantly about the test warning.

Significance for the future

"The warning day is an important exercise to actively strengthen the safety of our city. Only if we regularly test and improve our warning systems can we react quickly and reliably in an emergency," explains Mayor and Head of Security Benjamin Koppe. "The feedback from the people of Jena is just as valuable as the technical findings - it helps us to make the siren network and processes even more targeted."

The experiences from the warning day are now being evaluated. This will include both technical findings and feedback from the public. On this basis, the processes are to be further improved and the interaction of the warning resources optimized. Overall, the feedback confirms that there is a need to further consolidate and optimize the siren network.