When an emergency strikes, communication is key. Being able to reach the right people with the right information as quickly as possible can help deliver an effective and efficient response. While many organizations have multiple tools to address specific components of an emergency, this can often lead to unforeseen issues. The more tools an organization has, the more time-consuming it can be to activate each component, slowing down the response process. It also creates additional steps, making it more likely that a step gets missed, which could have critical consequences if someone doesn’t receive information that impacts their safety.
Mass notification systems can offer organizations a solution though. With a wide range of technology integrations and incident management capabilities, organizations can consolidate systems, expand the reach of their messages, and respond to emergencies to help keep people out of harm’s way. This post will cover the benefits and capabilities of a mass notification system and how it can assist with incident management by connecting to public safety answering points (PSAPs).
The Benefits of Mass Notification
If an incident occurs, organizations can’t afford to have anyone miss a message, but they don’t always have the means to ensure that critical information reaches everyone quickly. Some rely on mass SMS text messaging, but text messages can be easy to ignore, and when every second matters, organizations need to be able to leverage alerts that emphasize the urgency of a situation. Mass notification systems can help organizations deliver intrusive text, audio, and visual messages to a wide range of on-site and mobile devices simultaneously, eliminating the need to manage and send messages from multiple sources. This helps keep messaging consistent to reduce confusion, helps messages reach everyone in an organization regardless of where they are or what they doing, and helps highlight the seriousness of an event by broadcasting messages across multiple channels. This helps people receive messages quickly and begin taking action so they can stay safe.
Mass notification systems also enable organizations to target messages to specific groups or areas. This could be sending an alert specifically to the security team, or to a particular floor or wing of a building impacted by an event. This gives organizations more control over who receives what messages without disrupting operations for everyone.
Incident Management Capabilities
Of course, alerting people is only one component of responding to an emergency. Once initial notifications have gone out, organizations need to be able to bring about a successful resolution. Mass notification systems can help organizations plan for and address every stage of an emergency. Messages can be prebuilt for any kind of incident an organization may experience as well as messages for each step of the process, from the first notification to the “all clear” that signals normal operations can resume. Organization scan also upload critical resources like safety checklists, floorplans, and more that can be accessed during an emergency to help with a response. Notification scan be sent to key stakeholders inviting them to join a virtual collaboration space or conference call, so they can assess the situation as it unfolds and determine the best response. Notifications can even be sent that ask recipients to respond to questions, helping gain real-time insights to understand who is safe and who still needs assistance. With a single solution for emergency alerting and management, organizations can streamline their response.
Extending Reach to PSAPs
All of these capabilities are helpful when handling an internal incident, but sometimes critical situations require outside assistance. That’s where being able to reach a PSAP via a mass notification system becomes vital. Internal teams can receive alerts at the same time as first responders, reducing response times so help is delivered as quickly as possible. Safety regulations like Alyssa’s Law are making this capability a must as it helps spread awareness about serious events and get relevant information into the hands of first responders so they can coordinate an effective response.
Singlewire Software and RapidDeploy Integration
Singlewire Software now offers integration between its InformaCast mass notification and incident management software and RapidDeploy’s Radius Mapping platform to expand the reach of emergency messages directly to PSAPs. When InformaCast notifications are activated from tools like panic buttons, the notification will be delivered to local 911 agencies and can include location information about where the notification was activated, enhancing situational awareness, and expediting emergency response efforts.
As safety continues to be a priority for organizations across the country, having tools that work together and help with every stage of incident response become invaluable assets in keeping people safe.
