Last month, the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) already called on the security regions to warn that the air raid siren is a test and that people should not be alarmed. According to trauma therapist Mariska Bruinenberg, the impact of such an alarm can be significant on people with war trauma. “People’s old triggers are activated, and people with ptsd in particular can have strong reactions to them.” This can include panic or sweat attacks, or a tantrum. ,,It’s really hard to predict”, says Bruinenberg.
There are approximately 4200 sirens throughout the Netherlands. According to the Ministry of Justice and Security, these must be tested every month to make sure that they work in the event of a disaster. Only on national and religious holidays, the siren test is skipped.