Deploying Visual Message Boards for Mass Notification
Best practices and common pitfalls of emergency notification system deployment
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- Establish protocols for messages.
Define how to communicate in a crisis and establish rules for message composition. Visual displays with "predefined" messages facilitate quick mobilization and administration. A prioritization method will help the institution respond to various types of emergencies from inclement weather to violent acts or other threats.
Roles and redundancy should be well defined. Trends show IT and public safety personnel often act as the primary owners and administrators of visual message boards. However, subsets of message boards may be established for non-emergency use by facilities such as athletics, transit, and other departments across campus.
- Re-evaluate the implementation after the phase one deployment is in place for continued performance improvement.
After the first round of message board deployment, consider what else can be done to improve communications. Invite your solutions provider back for a security and safety audit and consider any area of the campus underserved by the initial implementation.
Conclusion
Many colleges and universities recognize that instant, multi-modal communication to students and faculty during an emergency situation will keep their campus community as safe as possible. However, few emergency management personnel know how to deploy a multi-modal notification system in the most effective way.
Visual message boards from Inova Solutions are designed for easy deployment and integration with other means of emergency notification. A phased deployment, as outlined in this paper, will ensure a seamless and successful mass notification system implementation.
About Inova Solutions
Since 1984, Inova Solutions has been helping schools and universities, hospitals, manufacturing facilities, call centers and others communicate vital real-time information. Inova’s visual notification system, Inova OnAlert™, has been successfully deployed at Virginia Tech and other leading institutions. To learn more, visit www.inovasolutions.com/mass-notification or call 1.866.686.8774.
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