 Challenges
First responders, when on duty, almost always have ways to be reached quickly by their leaders. The challenge comes when they need to be reached by their usual points of contact – on vacation, out of mobile signals, or disruptions in their communications services.
Families and non-governmental employees/contractors make up an integrally important part of first response team’s capabilities. Many systems and processes have not provided for a way to reach these all important members quickly, easily and safely.
Lists that are collected from everyone are almost certainly inaccurate by the time they are entered into any phone tree or email lists that are maintained. Even if they are accurate, whenever any event occurs, things will certainly be different then!
- How do you quickly and accurately enter their temporary or new contact information?
- How do the new numbers get to all of the people who might need them to place calls or send emails?
- How do you keep all the personal information confidential when you have to share it with anyone who might need to call them?
- How do you use your phone tree and ensure calls are all made when the next person isn’t available or fails to make their calls? Who has time for phone trees these days?
- For emails – who is assigned to read every email response to ensure your messages were actually delivered? You can’t depend on the fact you press the send button with standard email.
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