First comes the alert and a few minutes later the message that the danger is over. Then the test is over for this time.
Two counties, 26 municipalities and approximately 2.6 million people are affected by the test. Preparations have been underway for a long time, says Mikael Frisell, Director General of the Swedish Civil Defence Agency.
We have been working hard for over a year. We have tested in a test environment and worked closely with SOS Alarm, PTS and the mobile operators.
Will this be painless? I don't really know. This is technology we're talking about, but that's why we're testing.
Reach different groups
An important part has been informing the public through various channels and in different languages.
We have tried to reach all sorts of different groups and activities and have particularly focused on, for example, hospitals and Arlanda Airport, but also organizations that work with the hearing impaired, different language groups and women's shelters.
They have also spoken to neighboring countries, especially Norway, which has had the same system for a number of years. The Norwegians estimate that despite all the information, between 75,000 and 90,000 calls can be expected.
Therefore, we have strengthened our answering service so that we do not burden the emergency number 112.
For the alert to work, the phone must be updated, turned on and connected to the mobile network. You do not need to download an app or register your number anywhere. If the phone is on silent mode, it will still beep. If you do not want the phone to beep for various reasons, there is a way around it.
If you have turned off your phone completely so that it is not connected, or if it is in flight mode, no signals are sent out from the phone and then you will not receive any messages.
Larger systems
Mikael Frisell emphasizes that SE-Alert is only part of a larger system to warn Swedes of danger, a complement to Hesa Fredrik, Swedish Radio and Television and the digital channels they have.
The system is developed taking into account the external situation, but can also be used in the event of serious accidents and dangerous emissions, for example.
The advantage of this is that we can target the warning to a geographic location without the system getting bogged down like with text messages, so we get the right information out at the right time and place so we can save lives.
We are prepared and we feel calm and confident that this will be fine on Monday.
On September 7th at 3pm, everyone with an updated phone who is in Stockholm or Gotland County will receive a notification with a sharp signal and a vibration. After a while, everyone will also receive a message that the danger is over.
People in neighboring counties such as Uppsala, Södermanland or Västmanland may also be reached by the test message. SE-Alert is sent out via mobile masts and it is its range that determines, not the exact county border.
Source: Civil Defence Agency
