Mass notification is a type of interactive communication of emergency messages. Emergency alerts are used with siren warnings, mass text messaging, and reverse 911 dialing. Mass notification can be explained by adding an interactive element to a standard emergency alerting system.
What is Mass Notification and Emergency Notification Solution
Outbound notifications are a part of everyday commercial customer communication. Customer notification can be accomplished by using the following types of interactive response systems:
1. Banks frequently notify their customers of overdrafts through an emergency mass notification. The customer responds by correcting any overdraft errors.
2. Weather reporting systems use a mass notification of the area residents to alert them to various weather events. The residents can respond by changing any travel plans or by alerting others to this type of critical event. Detailed and meaningful information about the upcoming weather can be exchanged as well.
3. Groups of individuals can be alerted to emergency conditions. Hospitals and health care clinics use this type of one way and two way communication that is accomplished through mass notification. Hospital staff can use mass notification to interact among themselves in order to coordinate first responders in the field, for example.
What are Mass Notifications and Outbound Customer Alerts and Notifications?
Mass notification or disaster communications can be described in various ways depending on the connotation used. It is intended to optimize any communication during an emergency. The following systems are described as emergency notifications:
1. An emergency notification solution can be developed for an emergency public warning system.
2. A network centered disaster notification can be used to warn network users of any impending changes that might be occurring.
3. Unified emergency communications are those where several alerting systems are integrated in order to provide mass customer notification
Mass Notifications and Case Studies
Several recent events have used emergency communication systems to alert customers and local residents to potentially dangerous situations. The following are several applications that have effectively used mass emergency notification:
1. The New York City World Trade Center was attacked in 2001, and an emergency alert was sent out to the city residents. This allowed the local citizens to exit as they needed during this disaster event.
2. The London underground bombings in 2005 used a mass alert for the local citizens. This type of communication was an interchange among medical services and police services for the city of London.
3. The Virginia Tech massacre broadened a program for emergency communication on a college campus. The university had an effective system in place that was enhanced with additional cohesive plans for using the emergency system on campus. There was a need to integrate the standard system for a college security service. Speed of communication is emphasized now for college security services along with quick exchange of vital information.
Summary
Standard security services may use a one way alerting system that broadcasts the disaster information directly to the city or other officials. An enhanced mass alerting system uses an integrated and fast speed communication that is one way and two way for the emergency teams involved.
This type of two way interaction allows valuable information to be interchanged quickly, and appropriate decisions and safety measures can be implemented. This new standard of mass emergency communication is effective for disaster events and community affairs that are imminently dangerous for a local population. Standard disaster alerting can be used along with a more enhanced and integrated communication network for the emergency workers.