Emergency Notification Systems and Crisis Communication – Blog

Within the next few weeks, universities and colleges will be busy preparing for large numbers of visitors to their campuses for graduation ceremonies. From younger siblings to grandparents, these visitors will be happily awaiting to celebrate their graduate walking across the stage and receive their hard-earned diplomas and start the next chapter of their lives.

When a crisis situation happens at your place of school, work, or play there’s no time to think. The whole process of informing and guiding your organization to safety by signaling an alarm, emailing the staff, posting on social media, and informing authorities is arduous and time-consuming, which one can’t afford during an emergency. To help organizations act quickly during the first minute of an emergency, they need an emergency notification solution that allows them to synchronize the launch of alerts through multiple channels.

Hospitals and healthcare facilities are anchor institutions in our communities when it comes to safety and well-being during a time of crisis. They play a major role in most emergencies that happen — environmental incidents, vehicular accidents, infrastructure disasters, and active intruder or shooter tragedies. Because of the role they play in emergencies, they themselves must be even more prepared for emergencies that might happen at their facilities. Not only must they inform and guide the patients who visit these type of facilities, but the doctors and nurses, workers, and visitors inside must also be made aware and prepared for what to do next. No one day is the same and no one individual is the same who enters, so these centers must be ready for anything that comes their way. Ensuring they keep everyone safe means informing their constituents of an emergency and what guidance to follow if there is one.

Communication and information are essential tools in getting people to safety and minimizing the impacts of emergency situations. The reliability, speed, and accuracy of information are vital components in determining the effectiveness of communications. Crises like an unplanned outage, active shooter, or inclement weather all require the dissemination of accurate information at a moment’s notice. The success of your emergency response depends heavily on your preparation. If you have planned correctly, the execution of your response will be quick with minimal chance for error.

Manufacturers have some of the most stringent worker safety standards of any industry. The government regulations are rigorous, including those under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Given the inherent risks and dangers within manufacturing facilities – from electrical to chemical to nuclear – safety managers must have a crisis communication solution and company mass notification system that is purpose-built to save lives and prevent injuries.

No matter a venue’s purpose or location, there are bound to be all sorts of emergency incidents that occur. Whether that be weather-related events, active intruders, medical emergencies, or even the presence of dangerous animals. It is the responsibility of the organization to keep their constituents informed of emergencies and provide guidance as to the actions to be taken in the case of an emergency. This responsibility is synonymous to having fire alarms in your building, the display of exit plans, and the accompanying drills.