No need for panic as safety drill brings sirens across Shanghai

No action is required for those who are not participating in the air defense drill on Saturday. Warning sirens are due to fill the air across the city at noon, the Shanghai Civil Defense Office said on Tuesday.

Residents in Shanghai, except in the areas of Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, will hear the alarms in three-minute intervals from 11:35am to 11:58am.

It is the 15th year in which the alarms will be sounded to raise public awareness of National Defense Education Day, the third Saturday of September every year, the office said.

The office stated that when the sirens sound out, drivers and workers should focus on driving, producing and building to prevent accidents. People in public areas, such as shops, theaters and restaurants, should not run or hide. To avoid children and senior citizens being frightened by the warning, windows and doors can be closed to reduce the sound.

The One Financial Street in Jing'an District near the Shanghai Railway Station will be one of the key areas for the air defense drill. Employees and residents nearby will participate in the exercise.

An aerial drone will broadcast in Mandarin, Shanghainese and English, guiding people to the shelter with six areas for living, rest, medical aid, psychological counseling, epidemic prevention and observation, and material reserves.

During the exercise, the aerial drone and robot will conduct anti-chemical detection. The fire brigades will also isolate and dilute toxic gases and smoke, an air rescue drill will be carried out for trapped and injured people, and skilled professionals will rush to repair basic living facilities, ensuring water, gas and electricity supplies.

A mobile simulation will be available online to the public on the H5 platform, between Saturday and November 17, to experience the evacuation, showing the public how to collect emergency supplies and find shelters.

Other related activities, involving trivia contests, TV programs and training courses, will be launched by the office, communities and schools soon.