Disaster or crisis
What is it?
Fortunately, the likelihood of a major disaster or crisis occurring in your area is very low. However, if there is an immediate danger due to a disaster or emergency, you will be alerted by a siren. If you have set up NL-Alerton your cell phone, you will also receive a notification. Stay as calm as possible, go indoors, close doors and windows, and turn on the radio or TV to the regional station.
The sirens are tested at 12:00 p.m. on the first Monday of every month.
What should I do?
- Go into the nearest building as soon as possible.
- Close all doors and windows. Also turn off any ventilation systems.
- Let people who knock on your door take shelter.
- Warn people who don't hear the siren.
- Tune in to the emergency broadcast station. This station will provide you with information and instructions from the government. In the event of a local disaster, this will be your regional radio or TV station. In the event of a national disaster, this will be Nederland 1 or Radio 1.
- Visit Nederlandveilig.nl. In the event of an emergency, you will find all the information about the disaster here.
If you need to leave your home and the surrounding area
- Turn off the gas, water, and electricity.
- Bring only the essentials.
- Lock up your home and make sure your neighbors know that an evacuation is taking place.
- In the event of a major fire, stay close to the ground and leave the building as quickly as possible. If that’s not possible, stand by a window where the fire department can see you.
Transportation
- Bring as many people as possible.
- Listen to traffic reports on the radio.
- Follow the route indicated by the police.
- Go to the evacuation center or stay with family or friends outside the disaster area.
- Special transportation is available for people in need, the elderly, and students during a disaster or crisis. The facilities (nursing homes, senior centers, and/or schools) where these people are at the time will arrange for this.
What should I avoid doing when the siren goes off?
- If the siren goes off, never call the national emergency number 112. Do not call the local police, fire department, or ambulance service either. This could overload the call centers, which would seriously delay the arrival of emergency services.
- Do not take your children out of school. Children who are at school must remain there and will be looked after by the school.
Additional information
The government will notify you via NL-Alert about an emergency in your immediate vicinity. You will receive a message on your cell phone. This message will explain what is happening and what you should do. NL-Alert is an additional emergency alert system.