EENA Update 02/09/2026
EENA’s newsletter brings you the latest updates in emergency communications.
In this edition, you can read about issues and successes with public warning in Japan, Luxembourg and China, emergency call system failure in New York, and more.
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EENA news
As the summer comes to an end, EENA is looking ahead to a busy autumn. Over the coming months, we’ll continue our work with the emergency services community through new webinars and ongoing projects, while preparations for the EENA 2027 Conference in Malmö are also getting underway.
Join the EENA Members’ Area
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The Members’ Area brings EENA’s community and resources together in one place. You can access members-only publications and resources, watch past webinar recordings, and keep up with EENA activities. It’s also becoming an increasingly important way for us to share members-only information, opportunities and updates.
If you work for an emergency service or are a researcher, you can apply to join directly. For companies, membership is managed at organisation level, with colleagues added to the organisation’s profile.
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Did you miss our latest webinar on our series on 2G/3G shutdown and emergency communications? You can now watch the recording on the EENA Members’ Area!
Projects
SUNSHINE Training Webinar: Using EU Space Services for Secure Communications and Space Situational Awareness
10 September 2026 at 9:30-13:30 CET
The SUNSHINE Training Webinar will explore how EU Space services can support civil protection and disaster management. The session will look at the role of GOVSATCOM and the future potential of IRIS² for secure and resilient communications, as well as how Space Situational Awareness can help monitor threats originating from space.
Register here for the webinar.
Practitioner perspectives: Strengthening multi-level and cross-sectoral coordination in disaster risk management through TOGETHER
29 September 2026 at 13:00 CET
The TOGETHER project will bring together practitioners from its Disaster Risk Management Innovation Hubs and replication sites to discuss coordination challenges across organisations, sectors and governance levels. The panel will also explore how TOGETHER can support better information sharing, situational awareness and coordinated, risk-informed decision-making.
Register here for the webinar.
Webinars
Location, location, location: Why we need maps of PSAPs
22 September 2026 at 14:30 CET
Timely information can change the course of an emergency. This webinar will discuss why we need maps of Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). The session will explore the role of PSAP mapping in supporting information sharing, coordination and more connected and resilient emergency communications.
This webinar is sponsored by rescuetrack.
Add the webinar to your calendar here.
Shaping the EENA 2027 Conference programme
24 September 2026 at 14:30 CET
Join us ahead of the EENA 2027 Call for Presentations for an early look at the themes and priorities shaping next year’s conference in Malmö, Sweden (7–9 April 2027), and learn how to contribute to the programme. The webinar will cover the conference themes, submission categories and formats, the proposal process, and the support available to speakers. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions directly to the programme team. The webinar is intended for anyone considering submitting an innovation, operational experience, research project or case study, as well as those interested in recommending a potential speaker or learning more about the EENA 2027 programme. The Call for Presentations will open shortly after the webinar.
Add the webinar to your calendar here.
The future of Critical Communications: Findings from Omdia’s 2026 survey
29 September 2026 at 14:30 CET
Emerging technologies are transforming critical communications, creating new opportunities as well as new challenges for the sector. In this webinar, Omdia analysts will present the key findings from the Emerging Technologies and Critical Innovation 2026 survey, highlighting the technologies and trends that critical communications stakeholders believe will have the greatest impact in the coming years. Join us to explore the survey results and what they mean for the future of critical communications.
This webinar is sponsored by Omdia.
Add the webinar to your calendar here.
Emergency communications handling around the world: Costa Rica
6 October 2026 at 16:00 CET
This webinar series looks at emergency calls handling systems in different countries to better understand their challenges and provide a broader overview of emergency communications across Europe and beyond. In this webinar, we will hear from Costa Rica.
Add the webinar to your calendar here.
Emergency communications handling around the world: Hong Kong
27 October 2026 at 11:00 CET
This webinar series looks at emergency calls handling systems in different countries to better understand their challenges and provide a broader overview of emergency communications across Europe and beyond. In this webinar, we will hear from Hong Kong.
Add the webinar to your calendar here.
Emergency communications around the world
False earthquake alert issued in China
A disaster reduction institute in China has apologised after mistakenly issuing a magnitude 7.7 earthquake warning for a magnitude 4.7 earthquake in Sichuan. The alert was distributed through several smartphones and smartwatches before the estimated magnitude was rapidly revised downwards. The Sichuan earthquake authority said the institute had used the name of China’s official earthquake early warning network without authorisation, after its access to the network had been terminated in July. The institute said it would investigate the inaccurate alert and improve its technology and services.
Read more here (Global Times).
Japan’s earthquake warning system alerts millions before shaking
Japan’s earthquake early-warning system sent alerts to mobile phones across the Tokyo metropolitan area shortly before strong shaking from a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in Ibaraki Prefecture reached the region. The JMA warning was distributed through cell broadcast, providing people farther from the epicentre with seconds of advance notice before the more damaging seismic waves arrived. At least 37 people were reported injured across five prefectures, but there were no deaths or tsunami risk. The event highlighted the role of rapid, geographically targeted public warning in Japan’s earthquake preparedness system.
Luxembourg defends LU-Alert response to smoke from Belgian wildfires
Luxembourg’s government has defended its use of LU-Alert during smoke from wildfires in neighbouring Belgium, explaining that authorities deliberately issued an informational message rather than a formal warning to avoid causing unnecessary alarm. The message also aimed to prevent 112 from being overwhelmed by calls about the smell of smoke. When calls to 112 continued the following day, authorities reissued the information via SMS to reach a wider audience. Prime Minister Luc Frieden said pollution levels had not remained above the required thresholds long enough to justify a formal warning, while the risk to the general population remained low.
Latvia considers minimum resilience standards for mobile networks
Latvia is considering minimum resilience requirements for mobile networks following widespread service disruptions during the recent severe storm. The Ministry of Transport, mobile operators and the Latvian State Radio and Television Centre are reviewing how networks performed and how communications can be maintained during future crises. Measures under discussion include national roaming during emergencies and better coordination of backup generators, allowing connectivity to continue when individual networks or power supplies fail. Operators are expected to submit proposals to the government in early September.
Read more here (Critical Communications Review).
Poland expands emergency preparedness training and warning systems
Nearly 1,400 locations across Poland hosted public emergency preparedness training, teaching people how to recognise alarm signals, verify official warnings, locate shelters and prepare for evacuation. Around 290,000 people have participated in similar training since the beginning of 2026. The government acknowledged that Poland’s warning system still needs significant improvement. Authorities are working to modernise alarm sirens and develop new public warning tools, including a cell broadcast system and a dedicated warning app.
New York City 911 system failure affected hundreds of callers
A seven-hour technical failure in New York City’s 911 system prevented some emergency calls from reaching operators on 18 August. Around 1,700 calls were affected, with officials estimating that up to 400 people may have been unable to connect with a 911 call-taker. The problem affected the Bronx Public Safety Answering Center and also resulted in operators being unable to hear some callers. The system has since been restored, while authorities are investigating the cause and monitoring call delivery to prevent further disruption.
Read more here (New York Post).
Estonia postpones full 112 accessibility to 2027
Estonia plans to extend its deadline for making 112 fully accessible to June 2027, using an exception allowed under EU accessibility rules. Currently, emergency services can be contacted by voice or SMS, but these options do not meet the needs of all people with disabilities. The Emergency Response Center is testing real-time text (RTT), expected to be introduced by June 2027, while work on a video solution is continuing. The longer-term aim is to allow callers and emergency dispatchers to speak, use RTT and share video within the same 112 call.
UK man jailed after repeatedly abusing 999 call handlers
A man in Essex has been sentenced to six weeks in prison after repeatedly calling 999 and abusing emergency call handlers. He made six calls within around half an hour before being arrested. Essex Police said the calls prevented genuine callers from getting help and stressed that emergency call handlers should not face abuse while carrying out their work.
From our community
Second PEMEA Plugtests to test cross-border emergency communications
ETSI will hold the second PEMEA Plugtests event from 2–5 November 2026 in Heraklion, Greece, with the support of ETSI TC EMTEL and the PEMEA Consortium. The event will test interoperability between implementations of the Pan-European Mobile Emergency Application (PEMEA) standards framework, with a particular focus on cross-border emergency communications and roaming. Testing will cover end-to-end communication between emergency apps and PSAPs, as well as capabilities including real-time text, audio and video, instant messaging and file exchange.