Cell phones out at dinner tables, in movie theaters, even in meetings and during conversations are a few of the annoyances that developed as a result of our ability to be continuously connected. When it comes to safety and security, however, the increased ability to share knowledge, create situational awareness, and improve preparedness in the event of an emergency, has easily outweighed these irritations. And for employers working hard to ensure their personnel’s safety, one of the best ways to capitalize on the advantages of technology’s ability to connect us, is by putting an emergency notification system in place.

What is an emergency notification system?

An emergency notification system is defined as a method of initiating the broadcast of messages alerting of pending or present emergency situations to either one, or many recipients. There are many ways that this can be executed, but the goal of emergency notification, regardless of how it’s accomplished, is always to inform people of an emergency situation, like a threat, as quickly as possible.

What are the benefits of an emergency notification system?

The leading benefit of having an emergency notification system is the ability to initiate large scale notification in a timely manner. There are many other significant advantages however, including:

·       Increased efficiency in providing lifesaving information and prompting an emergency response

·       A variety of message media, including cell phone, email, tablet, laptop or desktop popups

·       Improved employee protection and life safety measures

·       Ability to meaningfully organize employee contact data to ensure correct notification delivery at critical times

·       Ability to unify essential communications for more successful situation management

·       Ability to initiate concurrent access control protection through automatic building lockdown

·       Ability to keep employees informed before, during, and after an incident

·       Allows for quicker reestablishment of business continuity

What are the top considerations when selecting an emergency notification system?

There are many things to bear in mind when selecting the emergency notification system that will be best for your organization, but some of the top considerations across the board are:

·       Overall ease of use

·       Ability to customize notification messaging

·       Ability to customize methods of notification delivery

·       Integration capabilities with other security and life safety platforms

·       Multiple-user initiation capabilities

·       Scalability

If you are still wondering why you might need an emergency notification system for your organization, the short answer is, because having one could save the lives of your employees, customers and/or patrons, and the lifesaving ability of being connected is not something to be overlooked.

If you would like to learn more about potential applications for an emergency notification system in your organization, we would be happy to provide a one-on-one consultation to answer any questions and help you determine what might be the best system for you. Please reach out to our Security, Access and Vigilance Systems Integrator for Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont Dan Gelinas at 207-249-5505.

 

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