The invention relates to a method for alerting people (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5), who are located within the range of a detector (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), as a function of request signals (S1, S2) from at least one alert source (10, 11). Each detector (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) establishes current countdowns (S1C1, S1C2, S1C3, S1C4, S1C5, S2C1, S2C2, S2C3, S2C4, S2C5) for each of the alert sources (10, 11). Upon output of a request signal (S1, S2) by one of the alert sources (10, 11), the associated countdowns (S1C1, S1C2, S1C3, S1C4, S1C5, S2C1, S2C2, S2C3, S2C4, S2C5) of all detectors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5) receiving the request signal (S1, S2) are started. The detector (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), the started countdown (S1C1, S1C2, S1C3, S1C4, S1C5, S2C1, S2C2, S2C3, S2C4, S2C5) of which is in progress, emits an alert signal (S1A1, S1A2, S1A3, S1A4, S1A5, S2A1, S2A2, S2A3, S2A4, S2A5), wherein the manual acceptance of an emitted alert signal (S1A1, S1A2, S1A3, S1A4, S1A5, S2A1, S2A2, S2A3, S2A4, S2A5) by a person (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5), who is located within the range of the detector (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) that emits the alert signal (S1A1, S1A2, S1A3, S1A4, S1A5, S2A1, S2A2, S2A3, S2A4, S2A5), aborts the started countdowns (S1C1, S1C2, S1C3, S1C4, S1C5, S2C1, S2C2, S2C3, S2C4, S2C5) of the other detectors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
