Warning system
A warning system is a - mostly publicly organized - Service to warn of hazards and to prevent damage. Often warning systems are also used to help better after the occurrence of the harmful event.
Normally, the base of a warning system is a network of hotlines, data lines, experts and locally distributed measuring devices or sensors. For emergency plans, there must be defined procedures and competent partner.
Prediction of future damage
An alarm is the prediction of a coming loss, but still could be prevented or alleviated. No warning is typical, however, when there is nothing more we can do - but here should lead the realization of the claim already in the first phase of its processing.
To build a useful warning system, two risks are generally weighed against each other related in theoretical statistics with the so-called probability of the first or second order: a) information on any damage to predict - with the consequence of frequent false alarms and certain dullness of those affected b) Only very probable damage to announce events - with the risk of not being taken into account unexpected effects or unfortunate concatenation sufficient. c ) Therefore, the correct approach of the warning threshold is a crucial for politics, administration and the public question.
Furthermore, any reliable forecast of the input of reliable data and appropriate analyzes and usually researches go ahead. The amalgamation of these ( partially on private initiatives BASED ) works with public interest must also be considered.
Known warning systems
Alarm and warning services are there for a variety of areas. Well-known examples are:
- Disaster warning services in civil protection
- Traffic information on the radio, ice and congestion warning
- Light signals and variable message signs on roads and footpaths
- Storms and storm warning for tourism and seafaring (see list of official weather warning services )
- Avalanche warning (see list of official Avalanche Center )
- Fire alarms, smog and ozone warning, poison - accidents
- Hydrographic services, see also flood
- Volcano Observatory and Earthquake stations
- Tsunami warning system (for example, PTWC )
- Warning systems for landslides and subsidence on structures for
- Private and business alarm systems
The best warning service benefits but little when urgent messages are passed and not surprising at the appropriate places. Depending on the nature of the risk must be also made provisions for the night hours and weekends in this respect, as well as for the possible willingness of hospitals and auxiliary and emergency services. Often, in addition to police or ministries, technically related services must be notified, in individual cases, companies.
Special
Depending on the nature of the threat of damage, it may be unplanned complications. It is known as sociology that many forecasts " wrong " because be undermined:
In the social sciences, almost every "Warning" a potentially self-destructive prediction (self -destroying prophecy ): Because science says advance something that is perceived by society as a warning and effectively blocked, then was - to put it loosely - the forecast ' wrong ' even though they ' really ' was. Such effects are a research topic of polyvalent " Günther logic ".