CDW-G shows Mass Notification Toolkit
New Web site offers guidance on emergency alert system implementation, marketing, and sign-up
Emergency alerts — how private and government organizations alert the people involved about an emergency or a disaster so these people can take the proper action — is a growing business. Vernon Hills, Illinois-based CDW Government (CDW-G), has launched its Mass Notification Toolkit, a Web site providing guidance on implementation, marketing, and sign-up challenges associated with the deployment of mass notification systems.
The company says that its Mass Notification Toolkit builds upon its 2008 study, “This is a Test — This is Only a Test: Updating America’s Emergency Alert Infrastructure,” which found that one-third of U.S. residents have no knowledge of or experience with their local emergency notification program. In addition to the awareness gap, the study also identified a deep divide between how Americans communicate today and how local governments disseminate emergency information. While wireless subscribers in America are at an all-time high and 1 billion text messages are sent by U.S. residents daily, local governments still relay information largely via television and radio, which require access to electricity that may not be available during emergencies.
The Mass Notification Toolkit offers insight on the important elements in establishing an effective mass notification system:
- Who needs to be involved in system development
- What a mass notification system IT infrastructure looks like
- What notification system features are available
- How to craft effective mass notification messages
- How to increase constituent participation in mass notification systems
“CDW-G’s ‘This is a Test’ report revealed a disconnect between the information citizens want and their awareness of how to get it, and between the advanced notification systems available today and the comparatively old-fashioned methods on which many local governments and schools still rely to transmit emergency information,” said Chris Rother, group vice president, public sector, CDW-G. “In response, many local governments, K-12 school districts and higher education institutions asked how they could reach their constituents more effectively. The Mass Notification Toolkit is designed to provide that guidance.”
During a crisis, technology plays an important role by linking an institution’s communications and technology infrastructure with a comprehensive emergency response strategy. Mass notification systems allow officials immediately to notify people through multiple means including phone calls, e-mails, text messages, instant messages, loudspeakers, and digital signage. The aim of CDW-G’s Mass Notification Toolkit is to assist local governments, schools, and higher education institutions in analyzing their current capabilities and planning improvements in system operation, system promotion and stakeholder coordination.
