The test, which takes place every first Wednesday of the month, is postponed until January 8.
Every first Wednesday of the month at noon, the warning sirens sound in France to test their proper functioning. This system, called the Population Alert and Information System (SAIP), is an essential device for warning citizens in the event of imminent danger, such as a natural disaster, an industrial accident or an attack. However, this Wednesday, January 1, the sirens will remain silent.
The reason is simple: the first Wednesday in January coincides this year with the January 1 public holiday. So, in order not to disrupt moments of rest, the authorities decided to suspend this monthly test. Especially since a large number of administrative and technical services, usually involved in these tests, operate with reduced staffing or are closed that day.
The test will take place on January 8
This decision has no impact on the system’s ability to operate in an emergency. The sirens remain fully operational and ready to be triggered when needed. The monthly test will still take place in January and will simply be postponed until January 8.
By hearing the sirens on the first Wednesday of each month, residents become familiar with the signal and are made aware of its role. In the event of a trigger outside of these tests, you must follow the instructions of the authorities, often transmitted via the media and associated mobile applications. Usually the siren sounds for 1 minute and 41 seconds and consists of three ringing cycles separated by a 5 second pause. It does not ring at the same time everywhere in France but always between 11:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. France has 4,000 sirens in mainland France, 10,000 including overseas.