The launch of the Early Warning System for the Population, CY-Alert, was announced at a press conference by the Minister of Interior Konstantinos Ioannou, the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Dr. Nikodimos Damianou, in the presence of the Ass. Commander of the Civil Defence, Mr. Theodoros Lemoniatis.
Through CY-Alert, which is based on Cell Broadcast technology, the Republic of Cyprus acquires the ability to immediately and in real time inform users of mobile devices located within its territory about cases where life, security or public order is threatened.
How it will work
In his statements, the Deputy Minister of Innovation explained that Cyprus is now part of the European ecosystem of Early Warning Systems for the Population, which follows the European Standard EU-Alert. As of today, we become the 16th country in Europe to implement this system with the specific technical standards. This means: Interoperability and the possibility of future expansion and cooperation at European level
The CY-Alert system is based on Cell broadcast technology — not that of the Short Message Service, the well-known SMS.
Instead of targeted sending to phone numbers that causes network congestion and has inherent limitations as a technology, the system sends in real time the signal from the mobile phone antennas directly to all devices located within the selected geographical zone.
This process is not affected by the network load or the number of mobile devices receiving the message. It therefore works in real time for all users within the geographical area – which can be as large as needed – regardless of their provider or the country of origin of the SIM card – so it is not only sent to subscribers and thus also covers foreign visitors.
Notifications appear instantly on the screen, whatever the user is doing on the device at that time. They are accompanied by a strong vibration and a characteristic sound (siren), bypassing the silent/mute mode. No internet connection (wifi or mobile data) is required, nor is the installation of an application.
The system operates with full respect for privacy, without the use, collection or storage of personal or device-related data.
Notifications are sent by the Civil Defense, through the networks of licensed mobile operators. The messages will include information about the danger or emergency, as well as clear instructions for protection or evacuation from the affected area.
Prerequisite: the immediate update of mobile devices to the latest available software version (Android & iOS). So a call to citizens: Keep your devices up to date — that's all it takes.
For information and technical guidance, citizens can call the 1450 call center, starting tomorrow, May 27.
In the next stage, the Early Warning System of the Population will be integrated and interoperable and is part of the New Generation 112 framework project.
Ministry of the Interior: The readiness of the state is strengthened
Speaking during the press conference, Mr. Ioannou said that the operation of CY-Alert strengthens the preparedness of the State and upgrades the level of protection of citizens in cases of emergencies, noting that the ability to be immediately informed and provide clear instructions to citizens can contribute decisively to the protection of human life and property. "The tool we now have at our disposal," he said, "strengthens trust between the State and the citizen, strengthens the sense of security and readiness and ensures that citizens will have immediate access to reliable information when they need it most."
When is it implemented – Test messages are coming
According to the Minister, "the national citizen protection system CY-Alert, after the completion of all technical inspections in a test environment, will be implemented from June 2. In the immediate future, and for a period that will last three weeks, for the purpose of confirming functionality in a real environment, test exercises will be carried out. During these tests, citizens may receive test alerts in Greek and English, accompanied by a characteristic beep, strong vibration and a clear indication that it is a test or exercise. Relevant information will be provided in advance in the specific areas through the relevant Local Authorities, so that citizens are aware that this is a trial exercise."
Community evacuation exercises
Furthermore, as he said, in view of the fire season, targeted measures have been taken in recent months for the better preparation of state Services and Local Authorities, taking into account the weaknesses observed in the past.
Specifically, he explained that "the Civil Defense Force is carrying out seven evacuation exercises in Communities in all Provinces this month, as part of the wider planning of the State for the prevention and effective management of emergencies. This year, for the first time, exercises are being carried out on a nationwide basis per geographical area with the participation of other co-competent Services, in order to determine the readiness to respond in the event of a real incident and to resolve all possible problems that may arise."
In addition, to ensure that the Community Councils are informed, the Civil Defence Force has visited all the Communities in all the Provinces, and in cooperation with the Community Councils, 320 trainings were carried out. At the same time, the "Polyvios" Plan was updated, taking into account the particularities of each region.
At the same time, he continued, a total amount of €3.1 million has been granted to the Local Authorities, on the basis of their own suggestions and needs, for the purpose of cleaning abandoned agricultural land around the Communities, as part of the preventive fire protection measures. This measure was taken under the guidance of the Fire Service, which assessed the needs based on the geomorphology of each area, while at the same time the District Administrations are proceeding with the cleaning of the roads.
"The protection of human life, the property of citizens and our natural wealth is a top priority for the State. With the launch of the Population Early Warning System, we are today taking another step towards a safer, more organized and more resilient Cyprus," he concluded.
