Emergency Notification Systems and Crisis Communication – Blog

Within the last several months, we’ve seen a number of news stories related to organizations of all different types sending out emergency alerts to their constituents that they didn’t mean to send. This has increased as more active shooter scenarios have made it into media headlines. In an effort to prepare, check, or even test emergency notification systems, organizations are accidentally sending out emergency alerts that are not identified as a drill or test. This might be a flaw with the organization itself or it may be a flaw with the emergency notification system the organization employs. 

If the first major hurricane of the season caught your business by surprise, you need to act quickly to remedy the situation for future storms. Hurricanes are not spur of the moment “pop-up” storms. Thanks to innovations in technology over the past 50 years, we are able to estimate when a hurricane will hit land, the strength of the storm, and the direction of its path. Of all of the recognized crises, hazards, and exposures your business can face – hurricanes have the most advanced warning. Having this knowledge gives you time to better prepare your people, your home, and your business.

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.

The “Presidential Alert” that millions of cell phones in the United States received at approximately 2:18 PM EDT on 3 October 2018 was a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system.

It’s that time of the year again when universities, colleges, and K-12 schools open up their doors for their students and staff. With students coming back, the safety of everyone on campus is a big issue. Emergency communication is more important than ever on any campus. The goal of any organization is to ensure that your mass notification reaches every person through multiple routes. This is especially important when there are children or students involved. There’s never a 100% chance that someone has their mobile phone on them at all times, so you must use other methods to reach your people. In the world of IoT, this multimodal approach is increasingly easy to implement and initiate.

Safety isn’t simply a state of being. Safety is a way of life and a goal that each of us strives to reach. Not only for us, but also for our families, schools, and the organizations we work. To be legally compliant, organizations must create an emergency response and action plan for their organization. It is their responsibility to be prepared for emergency scenarios that could possibly happen to their organization - and notify their constituents. In this day, we all expect to be notified should an emergency occur.