False alarm at Witten elementary school: children are safe, police are investigating!

False alarm at Witten elementary school: children are safe, police are investigating!

On Friday afternoon, October 31, 2025, an alarm at the Bruchschule in Witten caused a stir. Around 70 children and 10 adults were in school at the time. Many of the little ones were in full-day care, while one class had physical education lessons. The police arrived with a large contingent because the circumstances were unclear and every minute counted. Fortunately, according to initial investigations, it was 99.9 percent a false alarm tagesschau.de reported.

Teachers and students can activate the alarm system themselves at the Bruchschule. This raises the question of how many alarm buttons are available in the school and whether a technical defect or oversight led to the alarm. The police will clarify the exact circumstances and have commissioned the criminal police to investigate. Fortunately, nothing suspicious was found during the search of the school building.

Evacuation and care of children

The police forces ensured that the children were safely escorted out of the building. They were taken to a nearby church where parents could pick up their children. Despite the tense situation, everyone involved was extremely calm and well-coordinated.

Such alarm systems are indispensable for schools. Loud safe-school.de They must be clearly distinguishable from the break signal and be audible everywhere in the school. Everyone in the school building, including tradesmen and parents, must be informed about the alarm signals in order to be able to react quickly in an emergency.

Alarm systems in schools

There are various alarm options in schools that ensure that rapid action can be taken in the event of an emergency. These include, among others:

• Brandmeldeanlagen mit Sprachalarmanlagen (SAA)
• Akustische Signalgeber wie Hupen und Sirenen
• Hausalarmanlagen und Elektroakustische Notfallwarnsysteme (ENS)
• Optische Alarmierungsmittel
• Telefonanlagen zur direkten Alarmierung von Rettungsdiensten

The requirements for alarm systems are based on emergency plans and must ensure that people with physical limitations are also informed. It is important to address several senses at the same time in order to avoid misunderstandings in an emergency.

The incident in Witten gave rise to a review of the existing alarm systems. Just two days earlier, a similar alarm had caused unrest in Hagen when another alarm button was pressed. This makes it clear how important it is that not only the technical systems work, but also that awareness of their use is raised.