Emergency Alert Systems

This section of our technical library presents information and documentation relating to Emergency Broadcasting Systems and Disaster Recovery Applications. Should an emergency arise in your community, our 911 broadcast service can deliver large volumes of calls quickly using thousands of phone lines simultaneously. In the event of a blizzard, wild fire or devastating flood, your community can be notified quickly given specific instructions if an evacuation is required using our emergency broadcasting service. If a dangerous chemical spill occurs in your community, you can target specific areas to call. If a severe snow storm hits your area, your community can be notified of school closings or event cancellations.

The following article relates to emergency broadcasting and how it is used in various communities today. This information was obtained from the internet with attribution to the author and/or community.

Mohonasen Central School District, Rotterdam, NY

Mohonasen is now able to communicate with thousands of parents, within minutes, via an automated phone messaging system. "In the event of an emergency, such as an unplanned early dismissal of students, we can now send out an automated phone call to our parents to notify them immediately," Robinson says. This innovative phone messaging system can also be used to alert parents when report cards and/or interim reports are issued, to encourage people to vote on the annual school budget and to communicate on other important school matters. Draper Middle School and Mohonasen High School are also exploring the possibility of using this system to generate a recorded phone message that notifies parents automatically if their child is reported absent from school. (Bradt and Pinewood Schools are currently required to make individual calls home if a parent doesn't call first to report an absence.)

EMERGENCY phone messages (such an unplanned early dismissal of students) will be sent to ALL phone numbers parents have provided, including work numbers and cell phone numbers. NON-EMERGENCY phone messages (such as report card alerts, special events, etc.) will be directed only to the parent's primary phone number which is, in almost every case, the home phone.

Please note, the district will NOT use the automated phone system for a typical snow day announcement. "To do so would require calls to go out VERY early in the morning and we don't want to wake families up unnecessarily," explains Superintendent Robinson. "Our snow day closings need to be reported to the wider community and will continue to be announced on the major television and radio stations as well as the Mohonasen Web site."

Robinson also pledged the district would not use the new phone messaging system for frivolous calls that become distracting.

As always, parents are reminded to report any change in phone numbers to their child's school office.