Attainium Business Continuity NewsBriefs

This week we're taking a look at emergency communication systems, in response to a suggestion from Mark Eggleston of Health Partners Inc. in Philadelphia. Whenever Attainium conducts its Disaster Experience interactive tabletop exercise, the issue of communication is raised because many people don't think beyond the "we'll use cell phones" if their phone systems go down. But when everything goes down, then what? Perhaps you'll find some help in the articles below. Thanks to Mark for suggesting this critical topic.

How do you know the best system for your organization? (Item #1) You may have the right system, but do you have the right message? (Item #2) Emergency notification systems let you contact many people as easily as you contact one. (Item #3)

This free e-book discusses the many uses of emergency notification systems. (Item #4) One company's use of emergency notification as part of its global business continuity plan is discussed here. (Item #5) Disruptions and other crises can strain even the best emergency communication systems. (Item #6)

This week, we have an additional item: #7 provides links to a few reputable emergency system vendors.

As always, we look forward to hearing about your concerns with regards to business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, please email me at bmellinger@attainium.net

Quote of the Week

"Many firefighters climbing the World Trade Center towers died when they were unable to hear police radio warnings to leave the crumbling buildings."
- FoxNews.com -

1. Choosing a crisis notification system
There are a growing number of crisis communications solutions on the market, so how do business continuity managers set about choosing the best one for their organization? Kathy Veldboom provides a checklist of key considerations.
http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0191.htm

2. Best practice: how to use automated notification systems
Using automated systems to deliver crisis messages is accepted as an excellent method of accurately and quickly communicating with groups of responders, staff and other relevant agencies in a crisis. However, having the raw capability to contact lots of people is only the start of an effective crisis communications capability.
http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0108.htm

3. Message Received
The recent bombings in London had many CSOs scrambling to find out if their employees were in that city and if they were safe. Given the number of people that needed to be contacted, a lot of dialers likely ended up getting voice mails or even a "this number is no longer in service" recording or two, making the job of tracking employees a hit or miss proposition during the early stages of the crisis. In the meantime, CSOs sweated it out, waiting until the moment they could check off the last employee on their list as present and accounted for.
http://www.csoonline.com/read/090105/toolbox.html

4. MessageOne Offers New Free E-Book on Automated Crisis Communications
To Help Businesses Be Prepared
During a crisis or disaster, normal lines of communication may fail when organizations need them most. Because of this, many organizations are deploying automated emergency communication systems for direct two-way communications to large numbers of employees, customers and constituents during emergencies and disasters. According to a recent Gartner, Inc. study, 75% of Global 2000 companies will have emergency notification systems in place by the end of 2007. Beyond natural disasters, there are many ways that emergency notification systems are used throughout an organization. For the first time, MessageOne has captured the many uses for emergency notification in its new e-book - 101 Uses for Emergency Notification.
http://www.messageone.com/news/nws-2006-06-27-1

5. Case study: Communicating the importance of business continuity
CHALLENGE: A premier financial services firm wanted the ability to communicate quickly and reliably with a worldwide employee base during emergencies as part of a global business continuity program. SOLUTION: The EnvoyProfiles notification service from EnvoyWorldWide delivers the powerful combination of planning and communications required to execute successfully during any event.
http://www.usfst.com/pastissue/article.asp?art=268944&issue=183

6. Communicating During Emergencies
Communities that don't have PSAPs rely on public safety emergency operators and communications centers to process emergency calls.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/emergencies.html

7. Links to some Emergency Communication System vendors

VeriSign Emergency Communication System
The VeriSign EM application provides a method of wireless communication between an organization and its employees, partners, and customers worldwide. VeriSign EM can send messages via paging, SMS, text-to-voice, email, and wireless email technologies.
www.verisign.com/static/002636.pdf
ADT Emergency Communications System Can Bring Advanced Security Warning
To Spectators at 2006 AirVenture OSHKOSH
Mass Notification, an emergency voice communications system from ADT Security Services, has been chosen to enhance the safety and security of more than 700,000 people expected to attend the Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh 2006, one of sport aviation's top gatherings.
http://www.adt.com/wps/portal/adt/news/?wgc=press_releases/2006/07_25_2006
An Emergency Notification System for Powerful Crisis Communications
NotiFind� is a notification tool that allows your organization to automatically contact large numbers of people with a single activation. It uses methods beyond phone and e-mail to locate and inform people about what to do next, to assess their ability to report to work or ask other important questions.
http://www.strohlsystems.com/Software/_files/NotiFind/NotiFind_Features.pdf
Roam Secure Business Solutions
RSAN is also one of the most cost effective and scalable emergency alert systems. The system expands quickly and easily both enterprise-wide (i.e. to other departments) and to tens of thousands of citizens and businesses with very low costs per user. RSAN-Business Edition uses the same leading text-based messaging technology used by the highest level federal, state and local government agencies for COOP, emergency and daily alerting.
http://www.roamsecure.net/content.php?contentID=6