One of the best practices to follow when implementing or improving emergency response protocols is to spread the message as far and wide as you can.
There are many scenarios in which your building and your employees will be in jeopardy. Due to these dangers, emergency notification systems (ENS) are essential. Underestimating them, or overestimating your situational awareness, would be foolish. That’s one of the major reasons why your mass notification systems – even for non-emergencies – should be inspected periodically and subsequently upgraded as necessary. Here is some guidance in that respect.
Constantly-Updated Informational Databases
There’s something to be said about dynamic lists. Much like how you would continually update client contracts or encrypted folders, updating employee contact information is vital. Without it, you could be texting and emailing former team members or associates who are no longer connected to you in one way or another. Also, phone number and address changes could happen unexpectedly so keeping that information on file and as up-to-date as possible is in your organization’s best interests. Are said employees responsible for updating their information as needed? Or does your HR manager handle that task? Without clear answers to those questions, everyone could be in more peril than expected.
Organized Lists or Spreadsheets
Likewise, maintain organized lists or spreadsheets. These documents can make it easier to quickly scan both client and employee contacts to increase the efficiency and accuracy of where the emergency notifications are going when they are transmitted. Otherwise, your ENS will not be as effective as it could be. Perhaps only those who work in the headquarters need to know what’s going on; meanwhile, those who work remotely will be less likely to be significantly affected. Create divisions according to departments, office floors, crisis response teams, or upper management.
Time-Saving Message Templates
Message templates are tremendously useful time-savers. Depending on the industry in which your company operates, you could already have various templates in use already. However, these are typically deployed for more mundane reasons – such as informing clients about analytics results or holiday-related hiatuses. Focus on clarity, and phrase the message so that it is action-oriented rather than threat-specific.
Employ Multiple Methods of Communication
One of the best practices to follow when implementing or improving emergency response protocols is to spread the message as far and wide as you can. The advent of contemporary communications methods, such as text messaging, email, and voice mail are all crucial ways to reach the stakeholders whom you seek to alert.
Trust the Professionals at ARK Systems
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