Enhancing Emergency Evacuations: Overcoming Communication Challenges (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: Whether you're running a drill or a real-life emergency evacuation, proper communication is essential. We take a look at the most common emergency communication challenges and how even the most complex organization can overcome them. Notifications. Alarm systems are excellent for evacuations. Bright lights and loud sirens tell people in the building that it's time to get out. But it's not enough. Alarms have limited communications. While you should use alarms, remember that they can only communicate one message, one way. Get out. Better communication allows safety officers to keep everyone informed and manage communications with individuals or groups as necessary. Having more control over these communications in a quick and easy-to-use solution fills in all the major gaps of an alarm system. Roll call. A proper evacuation drill needs a headcount before people can return to work. Most facilities still use a clipboard and pen to conduct roll calls at mustering points. Upgrading to an automated way of checking people in at mustering points makes headcounts and roll call fast, organized, and transparent. You can also check in with people who may not be at their designated muster point. Employee and visitor locations are not stagnant. If an employee evacuates to a different muster point, they can be checked in at that location, automatically updating the entire system. This way, their safety officer has immediate visibility and does not have to track them down. Another common challenge is with visitors or employees who are not signed out. Automated systems that are capable of two-way emergency communication solve this problem. When the evacuation starts, the software sends an emergency notification. Evacuees receive an SMS message asking for an update and prompting a response. Evacuation routes. During a drill, the emergency response is likely to go according to plan. Escape routes are open and safe, allowing everyone to get to their mustering locations with ease. In an emergency, when it truly matters, this is not always the case. Your emergency response must be adaptive to react to situations as they evolve. For example, hazards like a gas leak or fire can block escape routes. A prompt response is vital to get evacuees to safety. Communication tools improve the capacity for emergency management and response. Safety managers can proactively send out notifications to head to a different muster point, along with the appropriate escape route. They can also respond reactively to alerts from evacuees requesting assistance. Tracking down individuals. If you still rely on clipboards and paper logbooks, you simply cannot monitor high volumes of visitors in real time. Tracking down specific employees or visitors is a headache at the best of times. During a drill or emergency, it becomes almost impossible. If someone doesn't show up to the muster point, safety officers need to track down either the person or their cell phone number. Emergencies are fluid. Automated notification software makes it possible to manage evacuations and communication in real time to enhance site and employee safety. The ability to communicate directly with specific employees and visitors sets Emergency OS apart. There's no time wasted searching or tracking down individuals. Safety officers and admins can use the online portal to instantly see people's evacuation status and details like phone numbers. For more info, contact us today. And if you enjoyed this video, be sure to like, comment, and subscribe.