EE-ALARM's first nationwide test reveals technical issues but accelerates crisis preparedness improvements

The test, conducted on 14 May, provided crucial insights into the system’s operational capacity and helped uncover multiple issues that smaller-scale testing likely would not have revealed. Over the past month, the Ministry of the Interior, the Rescue Board, the Information and Communication Technology and Development Centre (SMIT), the Emergency Response Centre, and other agencies have carried out an in-depth review of the siren network as well as the performance and selection of rapid alert channels. A shared conclusion emerged: issues must be resolved before a crisis arises — because during a crisis, it’s too late to learn.

Why was a comprehensive public warning test necessary?

• Every technical system requires thorough configuration and testing.
• Public awareness of the different types of warning channels noticeably improved, but further public communication is still needed.
• Several vulnerabilities were identified that could only be discovered through real-life, large-scale testing.
• Many of these technical shortcomings would not have been spotted in a limited test.
• The test provided essential hands-on experience to improve existing services and develop new features.
• The test allowed for maximum-scale evaluation of the system in an Estonian context — both in terms of population and communication channels.

What’s next for testing the EE-ALARM system?

• Testing of the entire EE-ALARM warning system will now be conducted more frequently. Both full-scale and individual channel testing must continue.
• A new draft Emergency Act currently under consideration in the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament) would grant the Estonian Rescue Services Agency the legal right to conduct regular public tests. The exact number of tests per year will be defined by the final legislation.

Siren network

The first stage of the siren network was completed in spring 2025. As of June, it includes 121 sirens located in 22 major cities and surrounding areas — covering approximately 65% of Estonia’s population.

Key findings from testing:

• A detailed analysis with the manufacturer showed that 84 sirens received the activation signal; of these, 70 activated either on time or with a delay.
• 47 sirens failed to activate due to faulty control modules. The issue was traced back to defective chips linked to global supply chain and quality problems stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• All control modules — both faulty and functional — are being replaced at the manufacturer’s expense.
• Volume-related issues were tied to the sound file itself and software settings that automatically reset volume levels after updates. This experience provided useful insight for future configurations.

What improvements are underway?

• Control module replacement has started and the entire siren network’s electronics will be updated by August.
• The goal is to have full operational readiness for the siren network by September 2025.
• Smaller-scale tests are already conducted weekly. A second nationwide audible siren test is planned for this autumn.

SMS Alerts

Location-based SMS alerts that take users’ language preferences into account were tried out for the first time during the public warning test. Around 5 million messages were sent to 1.5 million recipients — one batch sent before, and a second after midday. Without this new solution, nearly 25 million messages would have been needed to reach the same number of people, at a significantly higher cost (approximately €500,000 compared to the €90,000 actually spent).

Test Results:

• Language-specific SMS alerts work well for regional or non-time-critical emergencies — especially where guidance on action is most important.
• Speed of delivery depends on message length and the number of recipients. In areas with around 20,000 residents, up to 95% received the alert within about a minute.
• Some recipients got their SMS within seconds, but for others, delivery took up to several minutes.
• The use of non-Latin characters (e.g. Cyrillic, Õ, Š, Ž) increases message size, sending costs, and may delay delivery. The language preference system helped mitigate this issue.

What's Next?

• To further enhance the speed of public warnings, the Ministry of the Interior plans to prioritise the introduction of Cell Broadcast technology — a mobile network-based alert system already used in many countries.
• This system can deliver an emergency alert to smartphones within seconds, including overriding silent mode if necessary. No app installation is required by users.
• In parallel, the development of next-generation “pocket siren” technologies — based on satellite and broadcasting networks — is underway to ensure system resilience across different situations and connectivity conditions.

Mobile Apps

As in many other countries — including Ukraine and Israel — user-friendly and functional crisis apps are crucial during long-term emergencies. Development of such apps continues as part of the government’s broader emergency communication strategy.

Read more about the public warning system here.