The sirens are sounding for minutes across Austria: What you need to know now
Across Austria, millions of people were surprised today, October 4, 2025, when sirens sounded and mobile phones suddenly issued emergency alerts. The country conducted its annual test known as the Bundesweiter Zivilschutz-Probealarm — a national civil protection system test — simultaneously with the mobile phone alert system AT-Alert. This coordinated test was carried out between 12:00 and 12:45 PM to ensure the readiness of both traditional and modern warning channels in the event of natural disasters or large-scale incidents.
Between 12:00 and 12:15 PM, many citizens in Austria received a test message in two languages on their smartphones stating: "Alert Test – Alert Notification: A nationwide test in Austria to activate the alarm sirens and the AT-Alert system. There is no danger. Please do not call emergency numbers."
Although most citizens received the alert, some phones remained silent. The Ministry of Interior explained that the reason is due to the personal phone settings, as the first alert was classified under the "level four" category, which is a level that can be turned off on some smart devices.
But the second round of alerts could not be ignored. Shortly after the first message, a more urgent alert from the "level one emergency" was activated by the Austrian states. This type of alert cannot be disabled, ensuring that the message reaches everyone in the country. Officials confirmed that this alarm was also just a test, urging citizens not to panic or contact emergency services.
At the same time, more than 8,000 alarm sirens sounded across Austria in a precise time sequence. Following the usual test sound on Saturday were three specific signals: a continuous tone for three minutes indicating a "warning", a rising and falling tone for one minute indicating an "alarm", and finally a steady tone for one minute indicating "the danger has passed". These sirens are essential in real emergencies, guiding people to turn on the radio or television for instructions, seek shelter in safe places when necessary, and wait for the all-clear signal before returning to normal activities.
Authorities described the drill as successful and essential for maintaining the country's readiness. They also reminded residents that the alerts issued today were just tests, but the AT-Alert system and sirens play a vital role in saving lives during actual emergencies. As Austria continues to develop its alert network, today's test is an important step towards ensuring that no citizen is left unprotected when disaster strikes.