VMA (Viktigt meddelande till allmänheten – Important Public Announcement) is a Swedish warning system used in the event of accidents, serious incidents and disruptions to vital functions in society.
The warning system includes information on radio and TV, and in some cases the outdoor warning system known as "Hesa Fredrik".
You can receive a VMA through several different channels:
- on radio and TV
- from Krisinformation.se via the website, the app and social media
- as a notification in Sveriges Radio's app SR Play or in SOS Alarm's app 112.
In some cases you can be warned by:
- a voice message to landlines in the affected area
- a text message to your mobile phone if it is being used in the affected area.
If you receive a VMA, follow the instructions given. Also follow the event on Sveriges Radio P4 or on Krisinformation.se. Call 113 13 (SOS Alarm's information number) if you have questions or want to know more.
Outdoor warning with sirens (Hesa Fredrik)
VMA is usually broadcast on radio and TV. But in really serious events, the outdoor warning system for important public announcements, also called Hesa Fredrik, is used too. The outdoor warning system can also be used for alerts and air raid warnings if Sweden were to go to war. The outdoor signals are tested every three months. The signal sounds continuously for seven seconds, followed by fourteen seconds of silence. The signal test lasts at least two minutes.
If you hear the outdoor warning signal, you should:
- go indoors
- close windows, doors and ventilation
- listen to Sveriges Radio P4 for more information about what to do.
Sveriges Radio is the emergency broadcaster, tasked with passing on information from the authorities during disruptions and crises.
You can also follow Krisinformation.se (via the website, the app or social media) or SVT for more information. The outdoor signal should always be followed by a message in the channels mentioned above.
The outdoor warning system can also be used for alerts and air raid warnings if Sweden were to go to war.
If you live outside a built-up area
Hesa Fredrik is not everywhere – each municipality decides where the sirens are needed most. If you live in an area without a VMA siren, you can still be warned through the apps Krisinformation, SOS Alarm's app 112 and Sveriges Radio Play, which send notifications about important public announcements.
If you have a hearing impairment
Hesa Fredrik is mainly used in acute danger, when an area must be evacuated quickly so that people are not hurt. So that you can receive such warnings if you have a hearing impairment, we recommend the apps Krisinformation, SOS Alarm's app 112 and Sveriges Radio Play. Through them you can get notifications about important public announcements and find out what you should do.
To get information about ongoing events and crises, you can go to Krisinformation.se, listen to the emergency channel Sveriges Radio P4 or call 113 13. If you need help to make a call, you can use the relay services Teletal, Bildtelefoni and Texttelefoni.
Do you hear a signal you think might be Hesa Fredrik?
Many people get in touch because they think they have heard Hesa Fredrik. But in fact the signal is used very rarely.
If you hear a siren you think might be Hesa Fredrik, follow the information on Sveriges Radio P4, SVT or Krisinformation.se. Remember that many different sounds can be mistaken for a VMA signal, for example blasting on construction sites, signals from trains and alarms from industrial sites.
The information comes from the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF, formerly MSB) and Sveriges Radio.
Test of the VMA signal
Four times a year, the outdoor warning system for important public announcements is tested. The test is done to check that the sirens work and to let the people who run the system practise.
The tests take place at 15:00 on the first Monday that is not a public holiday in:
- March
- June
- September
- December
The signal for an important public announcement is then sounded, and Sveriges Radio reads out information about the test. The test ends at 15:05 with the all-clear signal. If Sweden's National Day on 6 June falls on a Monday, the outdoor warning system is tested on 13 June instead.
Those authorised to request a VMA include
- incident commanders for municipal and state rescue services
- the police
- county medical officers for communicable disease control
- SOS Alarm
- the management of facilities with hazardous operations (under the Swedish Civil Protection Act).
For more information and an interactive map of all VMA, visit: Krisinformation.se on VMA and alarms (in Swedish)
An emergency radio helps you receive the information broadcast on the emergency channel Sveriges Radio P4. See our emergency radios at Nordic Prep.
SOURCES: Krisinformation.se, MCF and the Swedish Armed Forces