What is typically the first thing that needs to be done in the onset of an emergency?
Chances are, you will want to contact all the appropriate parties to alert them of the situation and ensure that everyone can get to safety as soon as possible. With SimplyCast's Alerts module, you can easily and efficiently send out messages to connected organizations and subscribed members of the general public to notify them of the current state of affairs.
Multi-channel communication has become a buzzword of late, with all communication companies denoting the importance of being able to send messages through as many different channels as possible. This capability is even more imperative when it comes to contacting people in the case of a crisis situation. You want to be able to ensure that your employees, stakeholders, and the public receive your alert as quickly as possible so that they have ample time to either head to safety or perform their designated responsibilities.
SimplyCast Alerts allow for messages to be sent out over four different channels of communication: email, SMS, voice, and even fax, to ensure that all contacts receive the alert in a timely manner. For even greater convenience these messages have the ability to be created in advance of an emergency and templated for easy and quick deployment to contacts lists whenever they are needed. Preparation is ultimately the key to efficient emergency management.
Another handy feature of the Alerts module is that you are able to view which contacts have read your messages by enabling the Confirm Receipt of Alert option when setting up your alert. Selecting this option means that once the alert is sent out, your recipients will be asked to either click on a link in an email alert, reply with a specific code with an SMS alert, or press a certain number on their dial pad for a voice alert to confirm that they have received and understood the message.
These alert confirmations are displayed in a live updating report so you can easily see how many contacts you may need to reach out to again to gain confirmation of receipt.
Now, we have been talking about Alerts in purely the emergency response frame of mind. However, this module has a great deal of application in the non-emergency business world as well.
For example, suppose your office has to close for the day due to poor weather. A simple office closure alert can be sent out to employees to notify them of the closure so they don't risk their safety by trying to make their way into work.
On the other hand, Human Resources can even use the tool to remind employees of upcoming potlucks or other company events.
The dissemination of the alert messages through multiple channels of communication increases the chance that no contacts slip through the cracks when it comes to receiving important messages, either because they don't have a cell phone or never check their email.
Alerts helps to increase overall efficiency and situational awareness, whether during emergency events or day-to-day business routines. It is an extremely versatile tool that can be used in almost any industry to automatically send messages to pre-built lists of contacts or lists that have been built on the fly.
If you would like to learn more about SimplyCast's newest platform, check out the EmergHub website. Also, check out this informative blog to learn more about the other modules available and sign up to receive more information straight to your inbox!
