Emergency Notification Systems and Crisis Communication – Blog

When an emergency happens how do you reach your people?

It’s that time of the year again when malls, shopping centers, and grocery stores are packed with customers shopping for gifts and goodies. The holiday season is a time that fills our hearts with joy to be around our friends and family; however, it can also have the potential to increase the risks of emergency situations due to the stress and emotions of the holiday season. The holidays are known for being a very stressful time. Sometimes this stress can be taken out on the people closest to you. For this reason, workplace violence increases during the months of November and December. Not only do organizations have an obligation to their employees, but they must also be concerned with their customers while on their property.

No matter the emergency situation, when one occurs, it will most likely have an impact on each department of your organization. Emergencies are times when you must be clear and precise in your operational communications and the notifications to your people and visitors.

Leaders of an organization bear a heavy weight when it comes to the safety of their people. Emergencies can happen anytime; whether it’s a fire in your control room or an armed intruder outside your building, it is the responsibility of the leader and the crisis communications team to ensure that every single person is out of harm’s way. Not providing these resources for your organization, can not only be a legal issue, but it can also have an implication on your cost of doing business.

There’s no way of knowing when and how a crisis will occur, but you can always be prepared for whatever it might be. Your people will be better prepared if they understand what is going on and if they receive instructions on how to proceed. You will also reinforce your people’s appreciation by proving you have their best interest in mind.

We understand that there are so many conflicting features out there when it comes to emergency notification solutions. It can be hard to decide which might be most effective for your university or organization and which truly align with “best practices”. That’s why we recently sponsored a panel discussion during the Campus Safety Magazine’s 2018 Online Summit to bring experts in emergency management and safety together to discuss what they’ve tried and tested and decided was best for them.