Split-second alerts in case of an malfunction

In oil, gas or petrochemical refineries, in chemical plants and in nuclear power plants, malfunctions often entail major hazards for employees and the surrounding population. For example, there may be a risk of explosion or fires may release toxic substances that present a health hazard in the form of smoke clouds or during precipitation. Radioactive substances can escape from nuclear power plants. This is why these companies around the world are obliged to install appropriate warning systems. As these plants are often vast and have a high noise level, sirens are the most obvious and effective way of raising the alarm. Siren concepts for plants at risk of major incidents range from an alarm system for evacuating employees to networked solutions that are linked to regional or national warning systems.

Siren concepts for plants at risk of major incidents

Siren warning systems for plants at risk of major incidents generally comprise a small number of high-performance sirens with an audio and voice output function such as our ECN-D product line. There is usually just one control centre, possibly combined with an additional option for triggering the warning system, either in the form of a second backup control centre or simply an emergency push button. The standard component in the control centre is our MCE gateway combined with a PC with CCCS software or the RCS remote control panel. Communication with the sirens usually takes place wirelessly or via internal TCP/IP networks. It is important that the solutions used have an open interface architecture. This allows other communication options such as RS485, fibre optic or other technologies to be used.

The sirens integrated into the plant’s own warning system are primarily used to warn the plant’s employees in the event of an accident. Precise sound propagation analyses created by our experts ensure that the sirens will be heard in the relevant zones prior to installing them, but that the volume of the alarm sound will not do any damage to health. Sometimes the sirens also feature flashing lights to increase visibility. Since it is not only people outside, but also employees inside the buildings that need to be warned in the event of an accident, additional interior sirens are sometimes necessary. The noise level in these settings is often so high that outdoor sirens such as the ECN-D 600 are required.

If there is a danger to the population due to an accident, the warning is usually issued via siren networks installed by the authorities. This is why sirens in refineries, chemical plants or nuclear power plants are often linked to governmental warning systems via their control centres so that the population can also be warned promptly in the event of an accident. Integration takes place via I/O interfaces as well as via dedicated lines or other network connections. Nuclear power plants generally operate the largest in-plant siren networks because in the event of an accident, the alarm zone generally covers a radius of approximately 30 km around the nuclear power plant.

HÖRMANN Warnsysteme has already successfully implemented many siren solutions around the world, including joint projects with government agencies and corporations.

Tsunami warning systems – sirens alert reliably and save lives

When a tsunami reaches the coast, it generally causes a major loss of life, devastates the infrastructure and tourists tend to stay away from the region for many years to come. As well as grief and tragedy, the population has to face the immense task of rebuilding an inhabitable environment. This is associated with enormous private and government investment. It is often many years before regions affected by tsunamis are able to resume a relatively normal way of living.

Tsunamis cannot be prevented. Affected regions are under constant threat. Tsunamis are fast – they often hit the coast unexpectedly very soon after an earthquake has been registered in the ocean. Time is of the essence when a tsunami is about to hit. They are at their most destructive when there is not enough time for evacuation and escape.

Tsunami alert systems help to keep the loss of human life as low as possible. They detect impending earthquakes and send out warnings before a tsunami is triggered. No time is wasted. The civilian warning prior to a tsunami is sent out across various media. Sirens are an important aspect of the so-called “last mile”. They do not need to be actively enabled by civilians, work independently of the power supply, the internet or GSM network, and send out high-volume warnings within seconds. A siren can be heard everywhere, even on the beach, in the water, in the most provincial hut or on a boat close to the shore. An expertly designed siren warning system allows individual sirens to be selected and alarms to be triggered in a matter of seconds.

If you want to know why we are the right partner for your tsunami warning system watch this video.

Sirens for fire stations to alert the fire brigade

Electronic sirens are essential for many fire brigades, despite there being digital and analogue radio receivers, SMS, mobile phones and other ways to issue warnings that may seem more modern. They are loud and drown out ambient noise, and what’s more, they are not dependent on the availability of the internet and also work in network dead zones.

The requirements for siren warning systems for fire stations are very unique. For example, there is a big difference between a single electronic siren on the roof of the fire station to alert fire fighters in the area and a siren, which is used for public warning as well as to alert the fire brigade. In this case, fire station sirens are often integrated into a city-wide siren network. The electronic sirens from HÖRMANN Warnsysteme are suitable for all requirements thanks to their performance range and diverse control options. They are compatible with all currently approved siren remote control units and can easily be integrated into existing networks.

Mass warning systems – tailor-made siren warning systems ensure security

National civil protection concepts aim to alert the population in the event of military or terrorist attacks, natural disasters or industrial accidents. Due to climate change, the occurrence of storms, strong winds and floods is on the rise. Earthquakes affect many regions on earth. The political situation is becoming increasingly unstable. This is why many states are choosing to upgrade their infrastructure for alerting their civilians or starting to set up or expand their national warning systems. Disaster protection solutions like these are a complex combination of various surveillance and communication media that are usually monitored and controlled via multi-level control centres.

The purpose of a national warning system is to warn AND inform the population. The warning, also referred to as the alert, makes civilians aware of the imminent risk and should motivate them to turn on media such as the radio, etc. to get more information. Siren networks are an essential and effective way to alert the population quickly as mobile networks do not work everywhere and not everyone will have their mobile phone or a radio switched on. However, modern electronic sirens not only have the ability to warn, they can also inform thanks to their voice announcement function. This allows, for example, clear instructions to be given to civilians. Establishing a national siren network often takes several years and has stringent planning requirements.

Special requirements for national siren networks:

• Risk potential varies from region to region
• No uniform terrain conditions and climate zones
• Highly and less densely populated areas
• Areas that are well or less well connected to the power supply or communication infrastructure
• Multi-level control infrastructures with regional and national centres
• Scalable triggering of individual sirens via defined groups, up to all sirens in the country
• Option to integrate private warning systems, for example, industrial properties, mines or dams
• Can be integrated into national warning concepts, such as the German MoWas (Federal Modular Warning System)
• Cost-effective to operate
• Easy to maintain and long-lasting

HÖRMANN Warnsysteme is the pioneer when it comes to developing and manufacturing electronic sirens. HÖRMANN sirens made in Germany have been a reliable component of national mass warning systems around the world for many years. Our employees are experts in planning cost-effective, reliable and tailor-made siren networks for civil protection. As a manufacturer, we know our products inside out and also develop our own hardware and software. This puts us in the position to implement optimum warning systems anywhere in the world for any requirement together with our competent partners on site, and to maintain them too.