Kempten / District - The flood disaster in West Germany revealed terrifying deficiencies in alerting the population. In many places people found out too late about the approaching water masses, and the cellular network collapsed. There are not enough sirens. The situation is apparently better in the district. The district messenger asked Buchenberg, Weitnau, Wiggensbach and Kempten how the respective locations were prepared for a disaster.
Xaver Rist is the commander of the volunteer fire brigade (FFW) Weitnau. He is one of the first to be alerted. "With a really disgusting tone, even at night when I sleep," he says, "that is so rude, extremely loud!" “You can't ignore it.” This way of alerting has been around for 35 years. Rist receives the information from Oberstaufen, from one of the five section alarm centers in the Oberallgäu district.
Mayor Florian Schmid is also informed via mobile phone and SMS from the District Office in Sonthofen and from the Integrated Control Center (ILS) in Kempten.
"Sometimes my doorbell rings at two-thirty at night," says Schmid.
“Disasters never sleep.” The next steps are discussed and initiated together with the building yard and the FFW.
In addition, the ILS automatically triggers the community's sirens.
“We have at least one siren in every district,” reports the mayor, “we are very happy about that.” Fire brigade loudspeaker vans provide further information to the citizens if necessary.
Alarming gaps in the warning system
The familiar up and down howling has long since ceased to be heard everywhere.
Many siren systems were shut down in the 1990s.
Of the once more than 80,000 municipal sirens, only around 50 percent are still in operation across Germany.
In Munich, for example, there are hardly any sirens left.
The gaps in the alarm system alerted the federal government: Almost 90 million euros have recently been made available to upgrade old systems and install new ones.
There is also discussion about installing the so-called “cell broadcast” technology: With this, every mobile phone owner can be alerted unmistakably.
Sirens again very much appreciated
This is also welcomed by Michael Fackler, who is responsible for disaster control in Kempten.
"The supposedly outdated old technology is more stable than all modern warning apps, we are currently replacing sirens that are dependent on the power supply with battery-supported systems." The warning howl should be heard everywhere in Kempten.
Buchenberg and Wiggensbach also rely on the tried and tested alarm systems.
“We even have a siren in the back of the Kreuzthal,” says Buchenberg's Mayor Toni Barth.
And his colleague from Wiggensbach, Thomas Eigstler, is pleased that sirens can still warn people in his community in the event of a disaster.
Bulkheads close in Kempten
A few weeks ago it became clear how important it is to have an alarm triggered in good time.
"We were informed about a severe hail storm over Wiggensbach," says Eigstler, "The fire brigade and building yard were able to get ready and prevent local flooding from falling leaves and branches."
Alerting is particularly important in Kempten.
The Iller is known for dangerous floods.
"The information comes from the flood warning service, which measures the level and calculates forecasts for the water level," says Fackler.
With a reporting level between 2 and 3, Kempten literally closes the bulkheads.
"Then we will close the protective wall built after the Whitsun floods in 1999." The flood polder between Immenstadt and Seifen is also intended to absorb the tip of a possible Iller tidal wave and prevent major damage in Kempten.
In Weitnau, Buchenberg and Wiggensbach, on the other hand, flooding is rare due to the topographical location.
There are more likely hail, storm, snow or fire possible reasons that Commander Rist and his colleagues are roused from their sleep and the sirens wail.
Also read:
Help for the Oberallgäuer affected by floods and heavy rain