Emergency Notification Systems and Crisis Communication – Blog

Times like these can leave you speechless.  As much as you plan for emergency situations, there is still an element of surprise when something happens that you've never experienced before in your lifetime.  Pandemic communications templates will enable you to plan for continued emergency notifications during and after the coronavirus crisis, as well as help you to strategically prepare for future events.  Emergency preparedness ensures quick and reliable execution when the time comes.

The government and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working to communicate the measures we should take to contain the coronavirus, but schools and organizations must also take these steps.  The pandemic will be a test of your emergency communications processes and systems.  Are you up for the challenge?  

Oftentimes when we think of the holidays, we think of the time off from work, school, and our other responsibilities. It’s a time that fills our hearts with joy to be around our friends and family. These times can; however, have the potential to increase the risks of emergency situations due to the stress and emotions of the holiday season. 

Sending text emergency notifications to the population you are responsible for has become the default minimum standard for timely warnings. However, just sending text messages to your people during an emergency is not enough. Although the majority of people will have their mobile phones on their person, you can’t count on that one endpoint as the only means of notifying them in the case of an emergency.

Immediately initiating your organization’s emergency response plans’ predefined series of notifications is essential 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 emergency response. Crises like an unplanned outage, active shooter, or inclement weather all require the dissemination of accurate information at a moment’s notice. 

Fall is an extremely busy time for schools; not only are there new students, faculty, and parents to add or register as emergency notification recipients, but there’s also the possibility of new safety or security personnel to train on emergency response policies. Although it takes time and energy to prepare your pre-planned communications for your organization’s specific needs and policies, you should create a monthly or quarterly schedule for yourself - and your team - to verify and improve specific details pertaining to your emergency notification system (ENS). This allows you to stay ahead of the curve and not feel overwhelmed with your emergency notification system checks, tests, and improvements.