Warning siren: how to react to the signal?

The national alert signal is recognizable by the rising and falling sound you have already heard during the monthly trial of 1 minute and 41 seconds. The warning signal follows 3 cycles of this striking sound separated by intervals of 5 seconds. The end of the alert is announced by a continuous signal of 30 seconds.

In order to be able to react effectively in the event of an alert or in the event of a disaster, the following behaviors and reflexes must be adopted:

• to seek safety;
• inform themselves (radio France stations being the reference stations for obtaining information on the nature and evolution of the crisis);
• not picking up children from school;
• and only call in the event of a life-threatening emergency.

In general:

• Don't stay in a vehicle (to clear the roads and facilitate rescue action);
• Do not stay near windows (explosions or strong winds can break windows and injure people nearby);
• Do not open the windows to find out what is happening outside (in case of toxic cloud, confinement is essential to protect yourself);
• Do not light any flame (possibly flammable air pollution);
• Do not leave your shelter without instructions from the authorities (until the alert is raised, leaving the shelter exposes you to danger);
• Do not take the elevator (power cuts and elevator failures could block you in the car);
• Do not retrace your steps (in the event of flooding or a dam failure you could find yourself surrounded by water).

In order to know the risks, their nature, the means of protection before the crisis, and the actions to be taken during and after its occurrence, the Ministry of the Interior proposes several brochures available on its website.