If this Wednesday June 4 at 10 am your cell phone rings and you start hearing sirens in your neighborhood, don’t panic. This is a test of the chemical risk alert system that will be activated simultaneously in several municipalities in the Barcelona area.
As has already happened on other occasions recently, during the drill, 50 sirens will be activated in particularly sensitive areas: Zona Franca, the Port of Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Baix Llobregat and Vallès.
When will the drill take place?
June 4 at 10 am.
Who will receive the alarm?
The census population within the theoretical coverage of the chemical risk sirens for the test is 496,247 inhabitants, but it should be remembered that not all the population of these municipalities will hear the sirens or receive the alerts, only those people who are in areas of chemical risk.
It is worth mentioning cases such as Barcelona, where the sirens will only be activated in the area of the Logistics Port, Mercabarna and Zona Franca; L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, where they will only be heard in the western neighborhoods of the municipality; Terrassa, where they will only be activated in the southern polygons and Viladecans, where they will only sound in the easternmost area.
Taking into account the activity in other smaller industrial estates, the total population that would be included within the siren coverage area could be up to 550,000 people.
What does the alarm sound like?
At the start of the test, at 10:00 a.m., a Civil Protection alert will be sent to cell phones informing that the drill is taking place. A few minutes later, the chemical hazard sirens will be activated with the confinement sound (an undulating sound, similar to an ambulance siren). This warning initiation sound consists of three one-minute signals, separated by five-second silences.
At the end of the test (about fifteen minutes later), the sirens will be activated with the end of confinement sound (a high-pitched, continuous sound), and a second Civil Protection alert will be sent to cell phones. This will include a link to a survey to know if the sirens have been heard correctly and if the alert has been received on the phone.
What to do if you receive the alarm?
Whenever possible, the population is advised to practice self-protection guidelines in case of a chemical accident:
- Take shelter at home or in the nearest building.
- Close doors and windows
- Disconnect any ventilation system
- Wait for notification of the end of the alert
In which municipalities will the alarms sound?
The location of the 50 sirens that will sound on June 4 is as follows:
Barcelonès (8 sirens):
Port and Zona Franca de Barcelona (5) and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (3).
In the case of L’Hospitalet, they will be heard in the neighborhoods of Sant Feliu, Can Serra, Bellvitge, Centre, Sant Josep, les Planes and Gornal, where 72,554 people live out of the total of 282,299 inhabitants of the municipality.
They will not be heard in Pubilla Cases, Collblanc, la Florida, Torrassa, Gran Via Sud and Santa Eulàlia.
Baix Llobregat (26 sirens):
- Cornellà de Llobregat (2).
- El Prat de Llobregat (5)
- Viladecans (1) – will be heard in 50% of the population, will not be heard in Poblat Roca or Alba-rosa neighborhoods.
- Sant Boi de Llobregat (3)
- Sant Joan Despí (2)
- Sant Feliu de Llobregat (1)
- Santa Coloma de Cervelló (1)
- Sant Andreu de la Barca (1)
- Martorell (5)
- Abrera (2)
- Olesa de Montserrat (2)
- Esparreguera (1)
Vallès Occidental (9 sirens):
- Castellbisbal (3)
- Polinyà (2)
- Santa Perpètua de Mogoda (1)
- Terrassa (3) – only the area of the industrial estates will be affected; the city center will be excluded
Vallès Oriental (7 sirens):
- Granollers (3)
- Lliçà de Vall (1)
- Montornès del Vallès (2)
- Parets del Vallès (1)
These types of drills serve to prepare the population in case of a real chemical accident. The key message is simple but important: in case of a real emergency, stay at home or inside the building where you are. Close doors and windows.
You can consult all the details and affected areas on the Protecció Civil website.