AVEQ-KIMIKA, the Basque Association of Chemical Companies, and LAFCARR, with the support of the Basque Government's Department of Security, will carry out four activation exercises of the chemical emergency siren network on 15, 17, 18 and 19 July.
The municipalities involved are Muskiz, Hernani, Santurtzi and Lantarón.
How the drills work
The sirens will emit two types of unmistakable signals audible throughout the risk area: one to mark the start of a toxic cloud alert and another to announce its end. The start of the alert means sheltering indoors as the priority protective measure.
The Department of Security has an External Emergency Plan setting out how human and material resources are organised and coordinated in emergencies that affect areas outside the plant. It also covers how to alert the public with loudspeaker announcements and statements in the media and on social media.
The sirens are intended to reinforce this warning system and provide an immediate alert so that affected residents follow basic self-protection advice in the event of an accident.
Sirens were first installed in Lantarón in 2004, followed by Muskiz and Abanto y Zierbena in 2005. The third phase of this gradual roll-out took place in Hernani in 2006 and in the Port of Bilbao area in 2009.
As well as the simulated siren activation, AVEQ-KIMIKA, LAFCARR and the Basque Government's Emergency Response Directorate have jointly launched a communication campaign in residential areas near chemical plants. The aim is for people to understand this industrial activity and its risks and, above all, to know what to do in an accident.
Description of the audible warnings
- Start of alert: the following sequence of wailing sound and silence will be heard
- End of alert: a steady, continuous tone will sound for 30 seconds.
