How did the first launch of the public warning system go?
Estonia launched first ever national public warning system EE-ALARM test on May 14.
What went well?
- For the first time, we were able to test the complete public warning system. All the main alert channels were activated: ERR television and radio channels, the "Eesti app", the "Ole valmis!" app, SMS notifications, and sirens.
- SMS alerts reached nearly 1.5 million devices on both occasions.
- The Estonian Defence Forces and the Estonian Rescue Board were able to practise their coordination processes, which worked effectively.
- We noticed that public awareness of the different alert channels and how they work has increased significantly – many thanks to everyone who contributed and gave feedback!
What are the lessons learned?
- Distributing SMS notifications at a large scale takes time. We are analysing ways to ensure that information reaches all devices even faster.
- App-based alerts were inconsistent. Both the "Ole valmis!" and "Eesti app" forwarded the alert, but there were delays. The Estonian Information System Authority (RIA) and the Women's Voluntary Defence Organisation (Naiskodukaitse) are already working to address the causes.
- There were issues with the siren network: 62% of sirens activated on time, 10% were delayed, and 28% did not activate at all.
- In addition, all sirens sounded at only 72% of the intended volume (the target was 90%). The issues were most likely software-related. Identifying and resolving these problems is a top priority for the Ministry of the Interior’s IT and Development Centre (SMIT).
- A thorough analysis is underway – both hardware and software issues are being mapped and reviewed.
What’s next?
- We’ve learned that testing once a year is not enough. The systems need to be tested more often and also in parts.
- Thank you to everyone who gave feedback – we’ve already received responses from close to 25,000 people. Your input helps us make the system more reliable.
- Siren activation data and regional information will be published once the detailed analysis is complete.
- A crisis is not the time to start learning. Our goal is to test and improve the system until everything works exactly as it should.
Read more about the Estonia's public warning system from here.