The Question of Whether to say goodbye to the air raid Siren Has Been Hotly Debated for over a decade. The Dutch Parliament Will Soon have to make a decision on this, as the warning system is already well fits its technical lifespan.
The Ministry of Justice and Security (J&V) is in a bind. In February, The then Minister of Justice, Van Weel, wrote in a letter to parliament that his department does not have the money to renew the so-called warning and alerting system (was). However, Almost All Parties in Parliament Want the Air Raid Siren to Remain, as evidenced by a motion passed in March 2024.
Three Years Earlier, in 2021, The Center for Policy Advisory Research (Cebeon) Estimated that it would cost 170 Million Euros to Maintain the Air Raid Siren Until 2040. And Since the Introduction of NL-Alert Anymore, The Air Raid Siren. Therefore, it seemed a logical choice at the time to say goodbye to it.
But the world has Changed in recent years. After Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, The Threat Of War is also Felt Again in the Netherlands. As a result, the Dutch Parliament Now Doubts Whether It is a good idea to abolish the air raid siren.
In Parliament, there is a fear that in the event of a military attack on the Netherlands, the electricity and communication networks will be the first to be shut down. Then it will no longer be possible to send messages via NL-alert. If the Air Raid Siren is Abolished, The Government Will No Longer Have The Means To Warn People.
Unclear Whether Air Raid Siren is usable in War
Van Weel Therefore Announced in February That More Research is Needed Before a Decision Can Be Made. Together with Defense and TNO, The Ministry is Looking At How Citizens Can Be Warned Of A Threat, Such As A Missile Attack.
It is also being investigated what can go wrong in the event of power outages or problems with telecom networks. The results of the investigations were expected before the summer of 2025.
The Findings Will Soon Be Shared with the Dutch Parliament, the Ministry of Justice and Security Tells NU.nl. Based on this, the Dutch Parliament must make a decision on the phasing out and dismantling of the current air raid siren system.
That is a difficult decision. Both Cebeon and the Dutch Institute for Public Safety (NIPV) PreviOutly Concluded That NL-Alert is a Much Better Warning System. In The Event of a Disaster or Emergency, The Government Can Send A Message to All Telephones in the Country Or in a Certain Region. It States what is going on and what you should do. This works via The Mobile Networks of KPN, Vodafone and Odido.
The Information You Receive With An NL-Alert is not available If you Only Hear A Siren, Cebeon and NIPV Concluded Earlier. That is why in recent years the Focus Has Been on Alerts via NL-Alert and the Air Raid Siren is only sounded in very exceptional situations.
NL-Alert Can Fail in Extreme Circumstances
But in order to send an NL-alert, The Mobile Networks Must Work. In the event of a major power outage due to, for example, a natural disaster, antennas with backup batteries will continuous to work for a maximum of four hours. After that they fail and it is no longer Possible to Send An NL-Alert.
This vulnerability Became Painully Clear in our Neighboring Countries in 2021. Parts of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands Were Hit by Floods. In Belgium and Germany, The Mobile Network Failed in Many Places. That was The Reason for Germany to Invest Extra in the Air Raid Siren, The NIPV wrote in a Report in 2022.
Whether or not to Abolish the Air Raid Siren is, due to these events and the threat from Russia, no Longer just a trade-off between Costs and Benefits. Historical expert Roelof van Gelderen of the Museum Protection Population Compares the Air Raid Siren to Fire Insurance. “It costs money and you hope you never need it. But if something happens, you’re slipper you have it.”