Technology

What is an Emergency Mass Notification System & Why Do You Need It?

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Written by prodigitalweb

Ever had the need to send out a notification to all of your employees as soon as possible, hoping it will reach all of them on time? And, have you struggled with doing this the right way? Reaching everyone in person can be impossible, especially if we’re dealing with an emergency announcement. And then, sending e-mails might just not be safe enough.

In cases like those, and in many, many more, what you will need is a reliable emergency mass notification system that will get the critical info delivered to those people that need it. Radio broadcasts and sirens are simply not cutting it anymore when it comes to emergency communication, so you need to make some changes. The world has changed, and you have to adapt to it.

Thus, you’ll have to think about introducing one of these emergency mass communication systems to your company. By doing so, you’ll know that, in a critical situation, communication will be effective, and the right messages will be delivered to the right people. Understanding these systems better will further make it clear why you actually need one, which is most probably what you’re wondering.

What Is an Emergency Mass Notification System?

A mass notification system is actually a platform that can send messages to all of your employees at once, so as to inform them of an emergency. The messages are one-way. And, the software you’ll choose will need to have a strong communication infrastructure with as much bandwidth as necessary so as to send thousands of those one-way messages to the database of names, phone numbers and e-mails they will actually have.

Pre-recorded phone calls, texts, e-mails and social media are some of the methods through which these systems contact the people. An emergency notification system (MNS) can be activated by human action, as well as by sensing devices, including gas and smoke detectors, and similar things. For lots of businesses and organizations, these appear to be a necessary investment.

Check out more on what it actually is: https://www.dhs.gov/publication/mass-notification-systems

2 Why Do You Need It?

Understood what an MNS is, but not sure why you may need it at all? I get that. Not having had the need for these in the past, you may assume that investing in them is completely unnecessary. Yet, playing it safe rather than being sorry is always better, especially when it comes to keeping your business secure and safe.

Providing all employees with alerts and with real time instructions during any kind of a crisis, these systems can actually do wonders for the security of your company. The mere fact you can reach thousands of people in a matter of seconds makes the significance of an MNS completely clear. Of course, the time of delivery will vary depending on the actual number of people you have to reach, but the point is that it will all be completed very quickly.

An MNS ensures that everyone who needs to be alerted in certain situations receives the important emergency notification. And, by helping you send and deliver messages faster, these software solutions will accelerate your communication and make you and your employees be better connected in a crisis. Of course, you’ll prepare the notification template in advance, when things are in perfect order, allowing you not to have to think about doing that when a crisis hits. Instead, you’ll be able to focus on actually resolving the crisis. Read more on what these systems are.

Speaking of resolving the crisis, you’ll certainly need to act quickly so as to respond to the emergency situation you’ve found yourself in and ensure it is dealt with the right way. Without reaching all of the crucial persons that will be affected or that can help in the crisis, you won’t have an effective response. By sending out notifications on time, with the help of and MNS, you will have everyone on alert and ready to respond to the crisis effectively.

3 Some of these systems offer a sort of a two-way communication. Allowing people to mark themselves safe once an alert is sent out, or to request assistance if needed. This way, you’ll know exactly where your focus should be during a crisis, you’ll get to help those employees that may be in danger, and provide support to anyone who needs it. Normal working operations won’t be resolved until everyone receives the support they need, and the mass notification system helps you identify those people that may need your assistance.

Your internal communication systems may get compromised in the event of a disaster. Whether you’re dealing with power outages, hacker attacks, offline servers or anything else that may hinder communication, an MNS will definitely come in handy. With a disaster resilient communication platform, you’ll always be able to send out and access emergency communication, even when you’re dealing with the most extreme circumstances.

Last, but not least, you’ll need an MNS if you want to maintain your compliance to the important state and government requirements and laws. Depending on the industry you’re in, you’ll have different requirements to meet so as to remain compliant. GDPR, HIPPA, fire codes… Those are some of the government and industry regulations you’ll need to be in alignment with, and an emergency mass notification system can help you do it.

How to Get a Reliable One?

Ready to connect an MNS to your collaboration tools and secure proper communication during crisis? Only one thing left to do. Basically, you need to find a reliable mass notification system for your organization, and that could take time.

Why could it take time? Because there are numerous providers out there ready to offer their solutions, while not all of them may be as amazing as you may want them to be. Thus, researching the providers in details, as well as thoroughly checking out their MNS solutions before making any concrete decisions is a must. Functionality and reliability are the two factors to always keep in mind during the research, but feel free to compare the costs as well, so as to get the most reasonable solution.

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