Public warning system known as EE-ALARM
If a person's life, health or national security is at risk, the government will inform the public directly, as quickly and widely as possible. This is called public warning. In such situations the government uses a warning system called EE-ALARM. This system includes location-based SMS alerts, mobile apps "OLE VALMIS!" and "Eesti.ee," scrolling text on the ETV and ETV+ TV channels and on the ERR news portal, as well as a network of sirens. You can verify the information provided via public warning alert through official government crisis communication channels: kriis.ee, olevalmis.ee, the state helpline 1247, ERR news portal and official government social media accounts.
How does the state notify about danger?
The state always sends notifications though multiple public warning channels, as the fastest notification methods (such as sirens) contain the least information. This guarantees that people are always notified, even if some crisis communication channels are temporarily unavailable due to technical issues.
Sirens are only activated by the state in extreme cases when there is an immediate threat to human life (for example, in the event of major accidents involving hazardous chemicals or military threats).
The alerts are normally sent out by the organisation responsible for managing the event or crisis at hand. For example, the Rescue Board will inform you about a large fire, while the Police and Border Guard Board will notify you about a dangerous traffic situation.
Information about when the threat has passed will also be sent through the public warning system.
- When you receive an alert, take it very seriously, act quickly according to the instructions given, and seek additional information from the state when you are in a safe location.
- If you hear sirens, take shelter in the nearest indoor space before seeking further information.
- The sound of the siren consists of a one-minute rising and falling tone, repeated at least three times with a 30-second pause between each. You can listen to the siren sound here:
- wavSireeni heli
- A detailed follow-up notification will always be sent out after the initial emergency alert through the state’s official crisis channels.
- For more information about what has happened and how to respond, refer to the state’s crisis channels: kriis.ee, olevalmis.ee, the state helpline 1247, and various channels of ERR.
- Be prepared for crises in advance and know how to act in case of receiving emergency alerts, familiarise yourself with civil protection instructions on this website.
- Check if you live or work in an area with hazardous companies (information in Estonian). The state will also notify about incidents occurring in hazardous companies via the public warning system.
- The publication below also explains how the public warning system works:
The state public warning system: EE-ALARM
- Location-based SMS
- Mobile apps "OLE VALMIS!" and "Eesti.ee"
- Siren network
- Scrolling text on ETV and ETV+ TV channels and on ERR news portal.
The content of the alerts and instructions can be verified, if necessary, on the websites www.kriis.ee, www.olevalmis.ee, and through the state helpline 1247, ERR news portal. Additionally, announcements may also be made via loudspeakers, door-to-door notifications, and drones if needed.
