The sirens will also be wailing in Bocholt on Thursday

On Thursday, 11 September 2025, the city of Bocholt will also be taking part in the nationwide warning day. At 11 a.m. sharp, various warning devices will be tested simultaneously throughout Germany - including sirens, warning apps such as NINA or Katwarn and cell broadcast messages on mobile phones.

The aim of the warning day is to make citizens aware of the importance of warning systems and to sensitise them to the topic of self-protection and preparedness in crisis situations. In an emergency, the warnings can be vital, as they quickly provide information about dangers and give specific recommendations for action.

"In Bocholt, the sirens are triggered at 11 a.m.", explains Martin Bühs from the Bocholt fire brigade, who is responsible for major incidents "a test alarm is sounded, initially with a one-minute continuous tone. After a short pause, a one-minute wailing tone sounds, rising and falling, to warn the population. Another short pause is followed by another one-minute continuous tone to sound the all-clear. In this way, the functionality of the systems is checked."

In addition to the familiar warning devices, the city of Bocholt also draws attention to the so-called emergency information points. They play a central role in the city's disaster control system. They are activated whenever important infrastructures such as telephone, internet or electricity fail for a longer period of time. For the people of Bocholt, they are the first and most important point of contact for obtaining official and reliable information on the current situation.

In an emergency, the emergency information points are clearly signposted and therefore easy to find. They not only provide up-to-date information and instructions, but also establish a direct link to the incident command centre. Anyone requiring urgent assistance can make emergency calls here and contact the emergency services on site immediately. In this way, the emergency information points create an important bridge between the population and the emergency services - especially when modern communication channels fail and quick orientation is required.

In Bocholt, emergency information points have been set up at the following locations: Mariengymnasium, Liebfrauen Barlo primary school sports hall, Liebfrauen Stenern primary school sports hall, Euregio-Gymnasium sports hall, St Bernhard Lowick primary school sports hall, Biemenhorst primary school building and Sporker Saal. The fire station on Dingdener Straße, the fire station in Suderwick and the police station on Dinxperloer-Straße are also available for emergencies. The city would like to point out that the emergency information points are only manned in the event of a crisis or disaster. They will remain closed on the warning day itself - the exercise will be limited to the warning systems.

General information on the nationwide warning day can be found on the website of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) at www.warnung-der-bevoelkerung.de. Information on emergency and crisis preparedness as well as an overview of the Bocholt emergency information points can also be found online at: www.bocholt.de/krise