What is that scary siren sound on the first Monday of the month? - The Northern Times
NorthenTimes
logo The Northern Times
  • News
    • All
    • Crime
    • Economics
    • Education
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Sports
    • Tech
    • Ukraine
    Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

    Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

    Student organization says interest on student loans may return

    Government to allocate €20 million to cover critical costs of Ukrainian refugees

    Airport Eelde aims to become ‘most sustainable in Europe’ with new Hydrogen Valley project

    Groningen and Drenthe holidaymakers seek to avoid Schiphol

    Leeuwarden teens call for harassment hotline in city

    Leeuwarden teens call for harassment hotline in city

    Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

    Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

    More people test positive for monkeypox in NL

    Train dream: from Groningen to Copenhagen in 5.5 hours by 2050

    Train dream: from Groningen to Copenhagen in 5.5 hours by 2050

    Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

    Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

    Trending Tags

    • Lifestyle
      • All
      • Food & Drinks
      • Nightlife
      • Shopping
      • What's happening
      Food festivals set to return to Emmen

      Food festivals set to return to Emmen

      Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

      Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

      Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

      Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

      Armenian artefacts, Noah’s ark relic on display at Drents Museum

      Armenian artefacts, Noah’s ark relic on display at Drents Museum

      Groningen Meikermis fair about to kick off

      Groningen Meikermis fair about to kick off

      Marching trees kick off Arcadia arts festival in Leeuwarden

      Marching trees kick off Arcadia arts festival in Leeuwarden

      What’s happening in May? Events and activities from our partners

      What’s happening in May? Events and activities from our partners

      Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

      Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

      Trending Tags

      • Culture
        • All
        • Dutch history
        • Typical Dutch
        Popular Drenthe youth’s summer programme set to return in 2022

        Popular Drenthe youth’s summer programme set to return in 2022

        Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

        Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

        North NL theaters struggle to find a way to attract audience

        Rolling Stones exhibition in Groninger Museum extended

        Lottery donates €636K to Groninger Museum

        Frida Kahlo exhibition coming to Assen a year early

        Drents Museum Frida Kahlo exhibit extended

        Bittersweet Heritage

        Bittersweet Heritage: a cultural event exploring Groningen’s connections to slavery

        Fries Museum to loan series of renowned portraits from London’s National Portrait Gallery

        Frisians Mata Hari and Titia Bergsma to feature in History Canon

        A stumbling stone in Groningen

        New foundation for “stumbling stones” in Groningen

        National Holocaust Museum launching a temporary exhibit in Leeuwarden

        National Holocaust Museum launching a temporary exhibit in Leeuwarden

        Trending Tags

        • People
          • All
          • Expats
          • International students
          Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

          Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

          What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

          What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

          Student protest Groningen: ‘Where is a vaccine against psychological problems?’

          New mini-doc highlights how Groningen students struggle to find housing

          ESN/ISO: “International students neglected in higher education in the Netherlands”

          ESN/ISO: “International students neglected in higher education in the Netherlands”

          ESN launches ‘buddy programme’ for students in Groningen

          ESN launches ‘buddy programme’ for students in Groningen

          A letter from the Editor – Internationals from 120 countries: Welcome to Groningen, Leeuwarden, Assen and Emmen!

          ‘University of Groningen must do more for the mental health of students’

          From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

          From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

          First students snap up alternate study spots in Oosterpoort

          Dutch student grades rise during pandemic whilst mental health suffers

          NHL_Stenden_studying

          New students in Leeuwarden get ‘Coronaproof’ introduction week

          Trending Tags

          • Opportunities
            • All
            • business
            • Education
            Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

            Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

            Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

            Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

            Annual Beta Business Days event a success

            Annual Beta Business Days event a success

            What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

            Startup Visa Crew offers support to Ukrainian entrepreneurs (Переклад українською)

            Gasunie to build €60 million green gas plant in Delfzijl

            Gasunie to build €60 million green gas plant in Delfzijl

            Hundreds set to join online job-networking event

            Hundreds set to join online job-networking event

            How to enter academia in the Netherlands

            How to enter academia in the Netherlands

            3 ideas for student-friendly jobs in the North

            3 ideas for student-friendly jobs in the North

            Meet 3 startups that are Making it in the North

            Meet 3 startups that are Making it in the North

            Trending Tags

            • Submit A Tip/Article
            No Result
            View All Result
            The Northern Times
            • News
              • All
              • Crime
              • Economics
              • Education
              • Health
              • Politics
              • Sports
              • Tech
              • Ukraine
              Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

              Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

              Student organization says interest on student loans may return

              Government to allocate €20 million to cover critical costs of Ukrainian refugees

              Airport Eelde aims to become ‘most sustainable in Europe’ with new Hydrogen Valley project

              Groningen and Drenthe holidaymakers seek to avoid Schiphol

              Leeuwarden teens call for harassment hotline in city

              Leeuwarden teens call for harassment hotline in city

              Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

              Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

              More people test positive for monkeypox in NL

              Train dream: from Groningen to Copenhagen in 5.5 hours by 2050

              Train dream: from Groningen to Copenhagen in 5.5 hours by 2050

              Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

              Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

              Trending Tags

              • Lifestyle
                • All
                • Food & Drinks
                • Nightlife
                • Shopping
                • What's happening
                Food festivals set to return to Emmen

                Food festivals set to return to Emmen

                Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

                Groningen to host Sustainable Homes Day

                Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

                Reports of needle drugging filed in Groningen

                Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                Armenian artefacts, Noah’s ark relic on display at Drents Museum

                Armenian artefacts, Noah’s ark relic on display at Drents Museum

                Groningen Meikermis fair about to kick off

                Groningen Meikermis fair about to kick off

                Marching trees kick off Arcadia arts festival in Leeuwarden

                Marching trees kick off Arcadia arts festival in Leeuwarden

                What’s happening in May? Events and activities from our partners

                What’s happening in May? Events and activities from our partners

                Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

                Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

                Trending Tags

                • Culture
                  • All
                  • Dutch history
                  • Typical Dutch
                  Popular Drenthe youth’s summer programme set to return in 2022

                  Popular Drenthe youth’s summer programme set to return in 2022

                  Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

                  Remembrance Day and Liberation Day: Deep dive

                  North NL theaters struggle to find a way to attract audience

                  Rolling Stones exhibition in Groninger Museum extended

                  Lottery donates €636K to Groninger Museum

                  Frida Kahlo exhibition coming to Assen a year early

                  Drents Museum Frida Kahlo exhibit extended

                  Bittersweet Heritage

                  Bittersweet Heritage: a cultural event exploring Groningen’s connections to slavery

                  Fries Museum to loan series of renowned portraits from London’s National Portrait Gallery

                  Frisians Mata Hari and Titia Bergsma to feature in History Canon

                  A stumbling stone in Groningen

                  New foundation for “stumbling stones” in Groningen

                  National Holocaust Museum launching a temporary exhibit in Leeuwarden

                  National Holocaust Museum launching a temporary exhibit in Leeuwarden

                  Trending Tags

                  • People
                    • All
                    • Expats
                    • International students
                    Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                    Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                    What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

                    What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

                    Student protest Groningen: ‘Where is a vaccine against psychological problems?’

                    New mini-doc highlights how Groningen students struggle to find housing

                    ESN/ISO: “International students neglected in higher education in the Netherlands”

                    ESN/ISO: “International students neglected in higher education in the Netherlands”

                    ESN launches ‘buddy programme’ for students in Groningen

                    ESN launches ‘buddy programme’ for students in Groningen

                    A letter from the Editor – Internationals from 120 countries: Welcome to Groningen, Leeuwarden, Assen and Emmen!

                    ‘University of Groningen must do more for the mental health of students’

                    From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

                    From a WhatsApp group to a community: BLOG offers a ready-made social space for Black Ladies in Groningen

                    First students snap up alternate study spots in Oosterpoort

                    Dutch student grades rise during pandemic whilst mental health suffers

                    NHL_Stenden_studying

                    New students in Leeuwarden get ‘Coronaproof’ introduction week

                    Trending Tags

                    • Opportunities
                      • All
                      • business
                      • Education
                      Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

                      Groningen to host its first sustainable business day

                      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                      Companies in Dutch energy sector seek next cohort of young leaders

                      Annual Beta Business Days event a success

                      Annual Beta Business Days event a success

                      What’s it like working in Northern Netherlands?

                      Startup Visa Crew offers support to Ukrainian entrepreneurs (Переклад українською)

                      Gasunie to build €60 million green gas plant in Delfzijl

                      Gasunie to build €60 million green gas plant in Delfzijl

                      Hundreds set to join online job-networking event

                      Hundreds set to join online job-networking event

                      How to enter academia in the Netherlands

                      How to enter academia in the Netherlands

                      3 ideas for student-friendly jobs in the North

                      3 ideas for student-friendly jobs in the North

                      Meet 3 startups that are Making it in the North

                      Meet 3 startups that are Making it in the North

                      Trending Tags

                      • Submit A Tip/Article
                      The Northern Times
                      logo The Northern Times
                      Home Culture Typical Dutch
                      siren

                      What is that scary siren sound on the first Monday of the month?

                      Traci White by Traci White
                      March 26, 2019
                      in Typical Dutch
                      0
                      Share on TwitterShare on FacebookWhatsapp

                      If you hear air raid sirens going off around the beginning of the month, don’t be alarmed: the sirens are part of an emergency system test across the country. But why does the Netherlands rely on this system in the first place?

                      If you aren’t expecting it, it’s hard not to envision squadrons of World War II fighters and bombers roaring overhead when you hear the eerie sirens going off. But just check the calendar: if it’s noon on the first Monday of the month, then there is no need to panic. That is the chosen time and date for municipalities across the Netherlands to test their emergency broadcast system (unless that day is a national holiday or religious holiday, or coincides with Remembrance Day ceremonies).

                      The test usually lasts around a minute and a half, and the sirens are meant to be used in case of emergency, be it natural disaster, fires or industrial accidents that could expose nearby residents to hazardous materials, to warn people that a dangerous situation is occurring in their area. If the sirens last for longer than around 90 seconds, then there is a real emergency of some kind occurring and anyone within earshot should go indoors, close windows and doors and find their local emergency broadcaster on television or the radio.

                      World War II

                      The first national siren system was set up during World War II in 1939 and was used to warn citizens of air raids. The system was part of the Civil Air Raid Protection Services, and initially relied on volunteers. After Germany occupied the Netherlands, civil servants took over operation of the system.

                      The monthly tests started in 1952 during the Cold War for civil defence, and after the Berlin wall fell in 1989, there was a four-year period when the monthly tests were not held – and the sirens used to be even louder, so at least the modern version is slightly less terrifying. The system was replaced by what is now known as the Warning and Alert System in 1993. Since 2003, the alarms have undergone monthly testing.

                      There are currently 3,800 sirens across the Netherlands, but by 2021, the monthly siren test is set to become a thing of the past. NOS reports Minister of Justice and Security Ferdinand Grapperhaus recently informed parliament that despite an original deadline of 1 January 2020 to phase out the sirens, it would take until at least 2021 for the emergency system to fully switch from the sirens to SMS-based warnings called NL Alert.

                      NL Alert

                      The government has been in the process of rolling out NL Alert since 2008. The system was originally created to ensure that deaf citizens would also be informed in case of an emergency, but it will eventually be utilised to target messages to people living in areas impacted by an emergency. But the phone system remains inconsistent: During a national test back in 2013, only 12 percent of people actually received the message and about 40 percent of people either did not have a phone or had one that was not equipped to receive the text.

                      The overlap between the two systems is also causing headaches for the authorities: in February, a chemical leak from a tank lorry caused a noxious odour to spread across multiple provinces of the Netherlands, but the sirens in the municipality where the spill originated did not go off and not all residents received an NL Alert.

                      The justice and security ministry wants more certainty that the NL Alert system will work reliably before ending the Warning and Alert System sirens, but once the bugs are worked out, then newcomers to the country will no longer fight the urge to panic around lunchtime at the beginning of each new month.

                      Photo source: Tim Geers/Flickr

                      Tags: air raidemergencyNL Alertsirens
                      Previous Post

                      Recount request from PVV and Party for the Animals denied

                      Next Post

                      More travellers flying from Eelde

                      Traci White

                      Traci White

                      Related Posts

                      Mega Piraten festival in Drenthe nearly sold out

                      Mega Piraten festival in Drenthe nearly sold out

                      October 6, 2021
                      Nobel Prize winner Ben Feringa donates clogs to Clog Museum in Eelde

                      Nobel Prize winner Ben Feringa donates clogs to Clog Museum in Eelde

                      July 12, 2021
                      Bommen Berend celebrations to be scaled down for 2021 due to ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

                      Bommen Berend celebrations to be scaled down for 2021 due to ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

                      June 1, 2021
                      Traditional Frisian names could die out within 50 years, says professor

                      Traditional Frisian names could die out within 50 years, says professor

                      May 21, 2021
                      Groningen to relocate last remaining city beaver

                      Groningen to relocate last remaining city beaver

                      February 26, 2021
                      Elfstedentocht committee: organising a race this year would be irresponsible

                      Elfstedentocht committee: organising a race this year would be irresponsible

                      February 10, 2021
                      Next Post
                      No flights from Eelde to Brussels

                      More travellers flying from Eelde

                      Make_it_in_the_North

                      Make it in the North sneak preview: jobs platform to launch in July

                      Discussion about this post

                      Most popular this week

                      • Train dream: from Groningen to Copenhagen in 5.5 hours by 2050

                        Train dream: from Groningen to Copenhagen in 5.5 hours by 2050

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • More people test positive for monkeypox in NL

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Groningen and Drenthe holidaymakers seek to avoid Schiphol

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Back from the dead: previously bankrupt Vapiano may re-open on June 1

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      • Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag) in the Netherlands

                        0 shares
                        Share 0 Tweet 0
                      The Northern Times

                      The Northern Times

                      NorthernTimes.nl is an English-language news site for internationals and anyone interested in news and activities in the three northern Dutch provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The website provides daily coverage and summaries of local news in the north, as well as human interest stories, backgrounds and a regional events calendar. The Northern Times is an initiative of the International Welcome Center North in cooperation with Persbureau Tammeling BV, which owns and operates the website.

                      Powered by:

                      Akkoord van Groningen, Gemeente Groningen, Koninklijke Metaalunie & FME, University of Groningen, Hanzehogeschool Groningen, Samenwerking Noord, Campus Groningen, and DUO/NEC NL (Nationaal Europass Centrum Nederland). 

                      Privacy statement and disclaimer 

                      NorthernTimes.nl is an English-language news site for internationals and anyone interested in news and activities in the three northern Dutch provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The website provides daily coverage and summaries of local news in the north, as well as human interest stories, backgrounds and a regional events calendar. The Northern Times is an initiative of the International Welcome Center North in cooperation with Persbureau Tammeling BV, which owns and operates the website.

                      Newsletter

                      Once or twice a week, we send out a digital newsletter to our subscribers. We will not and cannot share email addresses or any other personal data provided by our subscribers with any third parties, nor will we use this information for any purposes other than providing the newsletter. 

                      Questions or comments?

                      If you have any questions concerning your privacy or comments about ways that you think we could further protect and inform you about your privacy, please let us know by contacting us at info@tammeling.nl

                      Disclaimer

                      The Northern Times reserves the right to change its privacy policy, but will inform our subscribers and readers in advance prior to implementing any such changes. These changes will be published in a timely manner on The Northern Times’ website.

                      Tags

                      Arriva (49) Art (62) Assen (181) Climate Change (49) Coronavirus (498) coronavirus regulations (48) COVID-19 (331) COVID 19 (58) culture (44) Drachten (47) Drenthe (863) earthquakes (52) Eelde (44) Emmen (157) festival (43) football (62) Friesland (934) Groningen (1858) Groningen Airport Eelde (51) Groninger Museum (48) Hanzehogeschool (53) Heerenveen (41) Hoogeveen (49) housing (110) international students (53) jobs (63) Leeuwarden (406) Make it in the North (55) Mark Rutte (44) music (41) natural gas (55) Netherlands (67) NHL Stenden (50) NS (43) police (66) protest (56) RUG (146) Schiermonnikoog (40) Sneek (43) students (92) train (63) UMCG (108) University of Groningen (197) Wadden Sea (42) what's on (67)
                      • News
                      • Lifestyle
                      • Culture
                      • People
                      • Opportunities
                      • Submit A Tip/Article

                      © Copyrights The Northern Times 2018

                      No Result
                      View All Result
                      • Culture
                        • Dutch history
                        • Typical Dutch
                      • Lifestyle
                        • Food & Drinks
                        • Nightlife
                        • Shopping
                        • What’s happening
                      • News
                        • Economics
                        • Politics
                        • Sports
                        • Tech
                      • People
                        • Expats
                        • International students
                      • Opportunities
                        • business
                        • Education
                      • Bloom: Subscribe