Lion alarm in Germany: unprepared population receives warning via cell phone app

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Warnung vor freilaufender Raubkatze – Was passiert, wenn das Protokoll versagt? Es ist eine Warnung, die in Deutschland absurd klingt: „freilaufender Löwe“. Was passiert, wenn die Bevölkerung plötzlich eine solche Warnung auf ihren Handys erhält? In den frühen Morgenstunden des Donnerstags war genau das der Fall. Die Regionalleitstelle Brandenburg an der Havel gab über das Modulare Warnsystem (MoWaS) eine Warnmeldung für die Gemeinden Kleinmachnow, Stahnsdorf und Teltow aus. Doch wie kam es zu dieser ungewöhnlichen Warnung und wie werden solche Meldungen normalerweise erstellt? Für die reibungslose Übertragung von Meldungen auf die verschiedenen Warn-Apps wird ein internationaler Standard namens „Common Alerting …
Warning of free -range big cat - what happens if the protocol fails? It is a warning that sounds absurd in Germany: "free -range lion". What happens if the population suddenly receives such a warning on their cell phones? This was exactly the case in the early morning hours of Thursday. The regional control center in Brandenburg an der Havel spent a warning message for the municipalities of Kleinmachnow, Stahnsdorf and Teltow via the modular warning system (Mowas). But how did this unusual warning come about and how are such messages normally created? For the smooth transmission of reports to the various warning apps, an international standard called “Common Alerting ... (Symbolbild/MB)

WARNING about free -range big cat - what happens if the protocol fails?

It is a warning that sounds absurd in Germany: "Freight Lion". What happens if the population suddenly receives such a warning on their cell phones? This was exactly the case in the early morning hours of Thursday. The regional control center in Brandenburg an der Havel spent a warning message for the municipalities of Kleinmachnow, Stahnsdorf and Teltow via the modular warning system (Mowas). But how did this unusual warning come about and how are such messages normally created?

An international standard called "Common Alerting Protocol" (CAP) is used for the smooth transmission of reports to the various warning apps. This protocol defines predefined event codes and text modules that are stored in the messages. Depending on the situation, control centers can fall back on these preset codes and thus send warnings quickly and efficiently. More specific events such as dike fractions, animal diseases, aircraft turrets or even nuclear accidents and pandemics are also taken into account.

Despite these precautions, there was no specific category in the warning systems for a free -range big cat. Both Katwarn, which is operated by the insurers at the district level, as well as Nina (emergency information and news app) from the Federal Office for Population Protection and Disaster Aid (BBK) currently have no suitable category or code for such a warning. Such a warning has simply not been needed.

In such cases, the dispatchers must improvise and create the reports with the general event "warning". However, you can use predefined recommendations for action that are stored in the system. So it is possible to formulate suitable warnings for unforeseen situations.

Another way to spread warnings is to send messages to all cell phones in a radio cell via the so-called “Cell Broadcasting”, even if no warning app is installed. In the case of the free -range Löwin, however, it was decided to refrain from this method, since the danger was not considered as high.

It remains to be hoped that such unusual events will not occur more often in the future and that the warning systems will continue to be optimized and updated in order to be prepared for all possible events. The adaptation of the categories and events in the warning systems should be checked regularly and updated if necessary to ensure the safety of the population. This is the only way to act quickly and effectively in an emergency.