If a situation arises that endangers the life and health of citizens, the President of the Russian Federation has the right to declare a state of emergency in the affected region. The reason may be natural disasters, man-made disasters, epidemics, etc. Heads of executive authorities at all levels, heads of organizations and chiefs of civil defense headquarters are responsible for timely notification of citizens about emergencies.
Information about the occurrence of an emergency goes to the operational duty officer of the command center of the civil defense forces. The duty officer must assess the accuracy of the information and decide on further actions. If the threat to the population appears to be real, the attendant turns on the "Attention" signal (air raid signal), which is broadcast to all areas of the city through loudspeakers. Upon hearing the signal, residents must turn on their radio and television receivers. They transmit a pre-recorded voice message about an emergency and instructions for citizens.
At facilities posing an increased danger to the population (hydroelectric and nuclear power plants, chemical and defense enterprises), local warning systems are installed. With their help, the emergency situation becomes known not only to service personnel, but also to residents of areas that may be affected by danger. In the event of an emergency, the dispatcher on duty or other responsible person turns on the sirens, the signal of which means "Attention to all", then a voice instruction is transmitted that determines the order of citizens' actions.
To notify about emergencies, SMS mailings, messages on city forums on the Internet, creeping line and news blocks on television, announcements on the radio are used. These methods can hardly be called effective - people do not watch TV around the clock and do not read SMS at night. The traditional method - cars equipped with loudspeakers - are much more reliable.
A warning system will only be effective if citizens know exactly what to do after an alarm. Any housing department should have a stand that describes the procedure for citizens to act in an emergency. Study this instruction. Find out where the shelter your home is attached to. Check if you have a first aid kit in your home.
