General warning
Rising and falling tone, 140 seconds, up to three times in a row. It means danger: take shelter and turn on the radio. What to do during an alarm
Siren test
Steady tone, 140 seconds. Usually on the first Wednesday of the month at 12:00. Do nothing.
Fire alarm
Intermittent tone, 60 seconds (25 s, pause 10 s, 25 s). Calls firefighters, it is not a warning for the public.
Talking sirens say after the tone what the danger is, for example a chemical accident or a flood. The announcement is in Czech, so the tone itself is what matters.
The samples are synthetic and shortened. A real siren is much louder and lasts longer. Turn your volume down before playing.
Things to remember
- The rising and falling tone is the only real warning. If you hear it outside the regular test, act straight away.
- A steady tone at noon on the first Wednesday of the month is just a check that the sirens work.
- The end of the danger is not announced by the siren. It is announced on the radio, TV or the local public address system.
Based on the Czech Fire Rescue Service. In a real emergency, always follow the instructions of the emergency services. Updated 4 October 2026.