Croatia implements new early warning system – all mobile phones to get test message on Saturday

All mobile phones to get test message on Saturday

The Croatian Minister of Internal Affairs, Davor Božinović, announced today the introduction of a new Early Warning and Crisis Management System (EWCMS), through which danger alerts will be sent to citizens’ mobile phones.

The system will start operating on Saturday, and after that, it will be clearer how it functions. The Minister emphasized that the goal of the project is to save as many lives and properties as possible.

Similar systems exist worldwide, and in Croatia, several different systems are currently being combined. The EWCMS was developed in collaboration with HAKOM and is in accordance with EU directives that prohibit unauthorized use of data. The project is worth 8.4 million euros, with the EU co-financing it with 7.1 million euros, as reported by 24sata.

No one in the state system has access to information about whom the messages are addressed to. In a specific area, at a given moment, all mobile device users will receive these messages. Through the geolocation system, it will be possible to track how many people are in the endangered or soon-to-be-endangered area. This will facilitate the work of emergency services, said Božinović.

Božinović emphasized the importance of informing citizens about the testing, which will be conducted by three telecommunication companies – A1, Telemach, and TCom, participating in such a project for the first time in Croatia.

The EWCMS will send messages in nine foreign languages, which will eventually be able to be received by foreigners present in Croatia at that time, the Minister revealed.