When a disaster strikes, a well-crafted emergency notification platform is your best tool to alert your employees, visitors, students, or whoever, of the situation. However, crafting an effective emergency notification platform is often easier said than done.
“I think some schools are afraid they are going to annoy people with their alerts,” says Dave Tindall, assistant vice president for technology services at Seattle Pacific University. “If you are consistent in your policies and issuing alerts where there is a significant threat, then people are going to learn to appreciate them.”
Common Emergency Notification Challenges & What to Do
- When: When do you issue a warning? Well, the trick is to be prepared. Brainstorm possible scenarios – including severe weather, active shooter incidents, Hazmat situations, and other situations – with your team and device a plan of action. UCLA, for example, has defined 45 potential scenarios.
- Who: Who needs to be alerted? Is there the potential for serious injury, death, significant damage to property or a major disruption to campus operations? All of these questions will dictate how you respond.
- How: Which alert methods are appropriate? Remember, not every situation may dictate the use of all of your mass notification methods. Which methods are appropriate for which situations?
- What: What do you send? Because each situation is inherently different, pre-written alerts may not suffice. The alert must be crafted on the fly.
Baltimore Security Systems
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Source:
Solutions to Your Common Emergency Notification Problems Campus Safety Magazine