On Wednesday, May 29 at 04:00 PM, more than 200,000 people in Tarragona and the Terres de l’Ebre will hear the sound of emergency sirens. This is part of a chemical risk confinement drill organized by Protecció Civil de la Generalitat de Catalunya.
The exercise will test how the population responds to a potential industrial accident and confirm that the outdoor siren network is working as expected.
Behind many of those sirens is lafсarr – and we keep them working.
At Lafcarr, we’ve been working for over 20 years on the design, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance of acoustic warning systems, including many of the sirens that will be activated during this simulation.
In fact, we installed a significant number of the sirens involved in this drill and maintain them to this day. We carry out regular checks, repairs, and preventive maintenance to ensure they are ready when needed.
These systems are designed to reach large areas, even in noisy or complex environments, so people can react quickly.
Why this drill matters
Catalonia has a long-standing emergency plan for chemical risks, including PLASEQTA and PLASEQCAT, which require regular drills and public communication efforts. This one includes:
- 55 sirens activated across 16 municipalities
- Mobile phone alerts through the ES-Alert system
- Involvement of chemical companies and first responders
- Public education on what to do in case of confinement
What to do if you hear the sirens
If you’re in one of the areas affected, you’ll hear a wavy sound lasting one minute, repeated twice. It’s just a drill, but here’s how you should react:
- Go indoors or into a nearby building.
- Close all windows and doors.
- Turn off air conditioning or ventilation systems.
- Stay inside until you hear the end-of-alert tone (a long, continuous signal).
👉 For the full list of towns and more info, see this video:
Our role in public safety
Our work at Lafcarr often happens behind the scenes, but it’s essential. We support public institutions with reliable, locally built acoustic alert systems, and we make sure they work when they’re supposed to.
This May 29, when the sirens sound across Tarragona… we’ll be listening too.
📎 For official details about the drill, see the full article by 3Cat: Over 200,000 people in Tarragona and Terres de l’Ebre to be confined during a chemical emergency drill
