When a siren or “Red Color” (Tzeva Adom) alert sounds, enter a protected space and stay for 10 minutes or until an all-clear message is received. This applies to rocket/missile attacks and hostile aerial vehicle infiltrations.

Siren Decision Wizard

Use this step-by-step guide to determine the best protected space for your situation:

flowchart TD
    A["🚨 Siren sounds"] --> B{"Where are you?"}
    B -->|"Indoors"| C{"Have MAMAD / MAMAK / MAMAM?"}
    B -->|"Outdoors"| K{"Can you enter a building?"}
    B -->|"In a vehicle"| M["Stop safely on side of road"]
    B -->|"Prefab / caravan / wooden structure"| P["Leave the structure immediately"]
    C -->|"Yes"| D["Enter & seal: close door, turn handle 90°, close windows"]
    C -->|"No"| E{"Can you reach a shelter in time?"}
    E -->|"Yes"| F["Enter communal or public shelter"]
    E -->|"No"| G{"Building has inner stairwell without windows?"}
    G -->|"Yes"| H["Use the stairwell (center, not top/bottom floor)"]
    G -->|"No"| I["Choose an inner space (most walls, fewest openings)"]
    K -->|"Yes"| C
    K -->|"No"| L["Lie flat on ground, protect head with hands"]
    M --> N["Exit the vehicle"]
    N --> K
    P --> K
    D --> Z["Stay for 10 minutes or until all-clear"]
    F --> Z
    H --> Z
    I --> Z
    L --> Z

Priority Order

The Home Front Command specifies a strict priority order for choosing your protected space:

1. MAMAD / MAMAK / MAMAM (always the preferred choice)

• Close the blast door tightly and turn the handle 90 degrees upward.
• Close both the external steel window and internal glass window.
• If the glass window is the double-wing type, remove the wings in advance and place them outside the room.

2. Building shelter or public shelter

• A communal shelter in your building can be used if you can reach it within the time available for your area, or if it is reachable through an internal stairwell that has no windows or exterior walls (in which case the time limit does not apply).
• A public shelter can be used if you can reach it within the time available.

3. Inner stairwell (no MAMAD/MAMAK/MAMAM or shelter accessible)

• The stairwell must have no windows and no exterior walls.
• Stay in the center of the stairwell — not on the top floor and not on the bottom or entrance floor.
• In a building with more than 3 floors: stay on a staircase that has at least 2 floors above it.
• In a 3-story building: stay on the middle floor staircase.
• Stay on the staircase itself, not in the floor space.
• Keep stairwells clear of equipment and obstacles.

Stairwells are surrounded by apartment walls, made of poured concrete, and form the structural core of the building — they are stable, durable, and proven to save lives.

4. Inner space (last resort if indoors)

• Choose a space surrounded by as many walls as possible, with the fewest windows and openings.
• You may use an inner corridor; close all doors and windows.
• Sit close to an inner wall, below the window line, and not facing the door.
• Glass may shatter from blast; shrapnel can penetrate outer walls.

Places that cannot serve as a protected space: kitchens, bathrooms, and toilets. Stay clear of ceramics, porcelain, and glass.

5. No shelter option available

• Lie flat on the ground face-down and protect your head with your hands.
• Do not stay in a building entrance lobby — shrapnel and blast from impacts near buildings make lobbies dangerous.

If you are in a prefabricated structure

Leave caravans, wooden houses, and other prefabricated structures immediately and enter a protected space. If that is not possible, exit the structure, lie flat on the ground, and protect your head.

Time-to-Shelter by Region

Israel is divided into approximately 1,700 alert areas, each with a defined defense time. The siren duration equals the time you have to reach shelter.

The time is constant — it does not change based on whether fire comes from the north or south. It is set based on the worst and most probable threat.

If you cannot reach a protected space before the siren ends: lie on the ground and protect your head with your hands.

Guidance for People with Disabilities

• Choose a protected space based on the time available from the alert.
• Practice reaching it from different locations in your home (kitchen, living room, bedroom).
• Clear routes of obstacles: rugs, plant pots, chairs. Move sofas and armchairs to create wide passageways. Ask family, friends, or neighbors for help if needed.
• Move quickly but carefully; use a wall, railing, or mobility aid for support.
• Wheelchair, walker, or bedridden users: move the bed into the protected room or inner space. Place it against an inner wall, below the window line, and not in front of a door. Ensure no shelves or heavy objects are above the bed.
• If you have difficulty moving from a sofa to a wheelchair: position the sofa against an inner wall, below the window line, and away from the door.
• Place a chair in the stairwell for elderly individuals who may need to rest.