Are sirens effective tools to alert the population in France?

Abstract

Abstract. In France, sirens have been the principal tool designated to alert the population in the case of danger. However, their efficacity has not been objectively tested. Using a geographical information system, questionnaires, and surveys, we analyzed (1) the spatial distribution of the siren network in relation to the covered population, the hazards threatening different areas, and the actual number of disasters that have occurred in the past, (2) the political dilemma of activating sirens, and (3) the population's trust in sirens, as well as its understanding of expected behavior in the case of an emergency. Results show that, with a few exceptions, siren coverage in France is primarily determined by population density, not by the expected hazards or the cumulative number of past disasters. Sirens are also rarely used by the authorities. However, surveyed members of the population identify sirens as the most effective alert system over other alternatives such as cell-phone-based alerting tools. In a “mock” emergency most members of the public did not know how to respond in the case of an emergency, and even most of those who correctly identified the appropriate response prior to the exercise did not react upon later hearing the siren. To improve the effectiveness of the French siren network, we recommend (1) relocating sirens to optimize their efficiency, (2) complementing the sound of sirens with a clear and unified message, (3) reorganizing the competencies to activate siren alerts, and finally (4) improving public education on different alert tools and expected behavior during an emergency.

Smart Sirens—Civil Protection in Rural Areas

“…In a similar study about the effectiveness of the French siren network, the authors recommend a relocating of the sirens to optimize their efficiency and complementing the sound of sirens with a clear and unified message [3], which agrees with our results.…”

“…The latter is applied for civil protection" [1]. The emergency warning system of civil protection in Germany and other European countries has improved over the last years but is still not in a perfect condition [2][3][4].…”

Tsunami Risk and Alert Perceptions in Five Municipalities bordering the French Mediterranean Basin

“…The alert perception can thus be defined as the process of interpreting stimuli (sounds, texts, voices) and understanding the related signification. Alert tools capture the individual's attention with various formats (a light, a sound or a text), to interrupt daily activities (Douvinet et al, 2021). The alert perception also includes the identification of actors who alert them and duration for applying safety measures.…”

“…As a consequence, the second glaring gap is the precise evaluation of the alert perception. Different examples can illustrate this: 1) in France, in 2014, only 22% of the population declared identifying the sound related to sirens, but without indication on how they react if sirens are sounding (Douvinet et al, 2021); 2) in The Netherlands, 32% of the population downloaded the national mobile application (EENA, 2023), but without additional information on their usefulness in the situation of dangers or threats. In addition, even if very rare are the studies who analyzed reactions of the population during real alert, data show sometimes significant differences.…”

“…The objective was then to see if differences could be observed in the tsunami risk perception evaluation, as well as in the alert perception. Four, the studied areas are not covered by the same number and quality of alerting tools: 6 sirens, covering approximately 78% of the residents in an audibility radius of 2km (Douvinet et al, 2021) exist in Cannes in 2019, and 2 sirens are located not sor far from the highest densely evacuation zone (Figure 1). A SMS calling system (TéléAlert) also allows potentially informing more than 33,000 people (date obtained in 2018).…”