https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Subscribe to GovPro
    • Manage GovPro Subscription
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
acc.com

Commentaries


Commentary

Wildfires offer gut check on your emergency communications strategy

Wildfires offer gut check on your emergency communications strategy

Daniel Graff-Radford, chief product officer of critical communications company OnSolve, explains how officials and agencies can use emergency mass notification systems to prepare and manage communications during wildfires and other emergencies.
  • Written by contributor
  • 20th March 2018

By Daniel Graff-Radford

The wildfires that recently swept through California presented county officials and law enforcement with a set of incredibly complex and in some cases unprecedented challenges. The fires reached densely populated urban areas, damaged cell towers and inhibited communications. To make matters worse, the overwhelming majority of residents in some counties had not yet opted in to receive early warning alerts.

State and local officials across the country who followed the devastating California wildfires might be asking themselves: if a wildfire – or any natural or man-made disaster – occurs, do I have an emergency communications strategy and system in place to protect people and property?

In an effort to ensure citizen safety and security, states, counties and cities continue to launch emergency mass notification and alert systems. But ensuring success with these systems not only requires selecting the right technology and tools, but putting in place a strategy for citizen registration and engagement for when severe weather, active shooter, transportation issues and other natural and manmade disasters strike.

The adoption of emergency mass notification systems (EMNS) can be restricted by limited citizen awareness that most systems (phone, email, push notifications or SMS alerts) require individuals to opt in on their mobile phones or register through an online registration page. 

For local officials and law enforcement agencies seeking to better prepare for and manage communications during wildfires and other emergencies through the use of EMNS, consider these 5 strategies.

Establish jurisdictional and functional authority
Prior to an EMNS launch, localities must first identify jurisdictional and functional authority to access and use the information collected from the solutions and citizens. In an era where the security and privacy of a resident’s personal information is paramount, Leaders must meet to define authorities regarding use of the systems, and review legal boundaries such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), HIPAA and requirements for encryptions.

Educate residents to remove uncertainties
Too often localities launch emergency mass notification systems without first educating citizens on its benefits, how the system works, and how their information will be protected (i.e. – that it won’t be shared with third parties for marketing purposes). The more uncertainty that exists, the less likely residents will be to register for the system and actually use it.

Make it simple for residents by heavily and consistently promoting the EMNS as an outbound system – including how and where to register. Outside of an actual emergency event that drives awareness, the most significant opportunity to drive mass registration is at the program launch when you can benefit from media attention and the “newness” of the program.

Localize the program
Branding matters – even for something as critical as emergency mass notification systems. Generic branding that doesn’t speak directly to local residents can lead to the impression that the system is not built around their city, county or state. Localize the system through custom branding, like “Alert Boston” and provide links on how and where to opt in to the program through any associate government websites.

Avoid common pitfalls
As mentioned, a lack of program awareness or belief that it is critical to their safety and well-being are the primary reasons for poor resident registration and engagement. Other factors that can undermine your EMNS are improper user training, or no training at all, that leads to  less engagement or improper usage.

At the same time, if residents are getting multiple or conflicting alerts from different jurisdictions, it can lead to confusion or “alert fatigue” which causes them to begin tuning out the alerts as it is unclear which alerts apply to them or should be taken seriously.

Promote capabilities that drive engagement
Innovative, two-way notification capabilities through EMNS can drive citizen engagement by empowering them to relay critical information back to agency decision makers, targeting messages to specific areas through geolocation, reaching increasingly mobile residents who do not have landline phones, and tailoring communication based on resident’s preferred delivery channel.

Wildfires and other weather disasters cannot be prevented; but with proper emergency communications tools and strategies in place, loss of life and property can be minimized. 

 

Daniel Graff-Radford is the chief product officer of OnSolve, a global provider of cloud-based communication and collaboration tools that deliver critical information.

Tags: Public Safety Commentaries Commentary

Related


  • A video surveillance camera and sign warning about CCTV being in operation
    All activities monitored: The 10 most surveilled major cities in the U.S.
    Public close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, or public video surveillance camera, hold multiple benefits for cities. They can help reduce crimes around public areas, buildings and roads, and with the increasing deployment of smart sensors and 5G, these cameras will be able to utilize the Internet of Things (IoT) to accomplish much more in the future. […]
  • Making cities safer means making security simpler
    When it comes to managing multiple security systems within a city, a good rule of thumb is simpler equals safer. This happens by moving away from inefficient, siloed technology systems that require constant monitoring and input, to information-based systems that proactively manage the increasing amount of data flowing into a centralized control room. The era […]
  • 2020 Crown Communities winner: El Paso County, Texas’ pretrial justice modernization
    Since 2015, El Paso County, Texas, has undertaken a massive modernization of its pretrial justice programs. This overhaul consists of eight reforms, each of which targets a different part of the pretrial justice system. Not only are the reforms diverse; each one has had a quantifiable impact on El Paso County’s justice system. The county […]
  • How technology can ensure equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine
    For more than a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the United States, leaving millions infected and more than 500,000 dead. There are now multiple vaccines being distributed to snuff out the spread of this deadly disease. However, the real challenge will be immunizing all Americans who want the shot. Urban areas have the resources, […]

Related Content

  • Lessons from the pandemic: Emergency sourcing of lifesaving equipment
  • Public safety needs a better way to triage emergency calls
  • Florida county announces successful test of Motorola Solutions’ cloud-based P25 core technology
  • D.C. police begin identifying Capitol rioters

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

An opportunity for infrastructure that cities and industry can achieve dlvr.it/RyDwZj

22nd April 2021
AmerCityCounty

How state and local government HR teams can prioritize the “human” aspect of the job dlvr.it/Ry8m7d

21st April 2021
AmerCityCounty

How Petersburg is raising its standard of living dlvr.it/Ry4QkF

20th April 2021
AmerCityCounty

Reimagining local government: What the pandemic taught us about adaptability, courage and resiliency dlvr.it/Ry12Z6

19th April 2021
AmerCityCounty

📣 Registration is Officially Open for #IWCE2021! 📣 It's been more than two years, but IWCE is finally headed back t… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

19th April 2021
AmerCityCounty

EPIC announces incentive program to help small municipalities replace lead pipes dlvr.it/RxqtsL

16th April 2021
AmerCityCounty

Clearing a path to multicloud as the new foundation for digital government dlvr.it/Rxqcgp

16th April 2021
AmerCityCounty

Records Management Rapid Response Checklist dlvr.it/RxqR8L

16th April 2021

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X