Fifty chemical risk alarms to go off in emergency drill in Greater Barcelona on May 29 

Chemical risk alarms in parts of Catalonia will be tested on Wednesday May 29 at 10 am.   

Cellphones in 22 municipalities in the counties of Baix Llobregat, Barcelonès, Vallès Occidental and Vallès Oriental, will receive an emergency push notification, while 50 chemical risk alarms will go off simultaneously.  

These alarms will be used to warn residents when a real chemical hazard occurs.  

The area being tested on Wednesday houses approximately 500,000 people. 

This will be the second chemical risk test of the year and will take around 15 minutes in total. 

What to do during a real alert?   

During a real alert, after the alarms go off or messages are sent, it is important to take immediate shelter in the closest building. Authorities urge the public not to remain on the streets.   

It is imperative to switch off the AC to prevent outside air from entering the building and to stay indoors at all cost, checking for news updates online using the @emergenciescat profile on social media or local media outlets.   

How does the alarm sound?   

To mark the beginning of the drill, three one-minute alarms were sounded, each sent five seconds apart.  

The end of the drill was marked by a 30-second alarm without pauses.   

Authorities are also asking residents to fill out a survey after the test to report on whether the messages were received correctly and if the alarms were audible.