Language preference speeds up Estonia’s emergency alerts

Estonia’s location-based emergency alert SMS system now sends warnings faster and usually in the recipient’s preferred language, a recent study found, ERR reported. The language-based system shortens messages, reduces pressure on communications networks and improves readability.

Previously, emergency alerts in Estonia were sent in a single SMS in Estonian, Russian and English. While the three-language message reached different language groups, it was long and difficult to read, and sending it took more time. Alerts were also often split into several SMS segments, increasing network load and delaying delivery, according to Stella Polikarpus, a researcher in population protection at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences.

Testing and research conducted in 2022 and 2023 showed that three-language SMS alerts were too long and difficult to absorb during emergencies, reducing their effectiveness, said Kadi Luht-Kallas, head of the preferred-language project for the EE-ALARM system.

Language is particularly important during an emergency. If people do not understand the contents of a warning, their ability to respond in time may be reduced. Luht-Kallas said automatic translation could also convey the content of an emergency alert incorrectly.

New system uses language preferences

The study, published in the scientific journal International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, was based on a nationwide emergency alert test held on May 14, 2025. SMS notifications were sent twice to nearly 1.5 million SIM cards. It was the first nationwide emergency alert test in Estonia to also use sirens.

A total of 24,787 people responded to a feedback questionnaire published on the kriis.ee website.

Estonia has been developing the EE-ALARM emergency alert system since 2023. It allows warnings to be sent in a person’s preferred language, based on data held by mobile operators. If an operator does not have that information, the user receives a message in Estonian and English. Such cases accounted for 14 percent of recipients in the 2025 test.

The share of people whose language preference is unknown is declining over time, Luht-Kallas said. In the 2026 test, they accounted for about 7 to 8 percent of SMS recipients.

The system significantly reduces the length of messages and the number of SMS segments, which in turn improves the readability of warnings.