MIR3 discusses the importance of mass notification

The hurricane season kicked off on June 1 and by all accounts the summer is expected to be particularly intense. Therefore MIR3 of San Diego, CA, a developer of intelligent notification and response software, urges employers along the eastern Atlantic and Gulf coasts to re-evaluate their preparedness and disaster recovery plans.

MIR3 offers institutions, such as universities, hospitals, or large companies, the technology to communicate with all their students, patients or employees during operational interruptions due to natural disasters. This notification system can also alert companies’ officials when regular IT systems fail.

Maurice Burrell, director of product management, spoke with GSN: Government Security News about the security advantages of the company’s technology. In the event that a hurricane would hit an area, such as south Florida, the user equipped with MIR3 technology would have the ability to send out a notification to hundreds of thousands of recipients through one or several communication means of their choice among phone, cell phone, text message, email and fax. Automated message are delivered in the recipient’s language. Today, American English, UK English, Spanish, German, French and Dutch are available, but other languages can be added.

In addition, MIR3 is equipped with Geographical Information Systems (GIS), which uses mapping data in combination with notification technology. Burrell explains that it allows the user to locate the recipients that need to be notified.

Finally, MIR3 is an intelligent system as it offers the possibility for the recipient to answer the notification. Hence, the user gets a real time report with the results on how many recipients have answered to the notifications, and how many have not. Notifications can ask specific questions such as “There is a hurricane coming in your area, you need to leave the town. Are you able to do so?”

The recipient would have the ability to choose from two answers; for instance, in this case: “Yes I am able to leave the town,” or “No, I am not able to leave the town and need help.” Certain answers can trigger another automated notification that will ask for more explanations. The recipient can then type his answer or speak to the system.

“MIR3 is an intelligent product as we get communication back,” Burrell says.

Companies interested in the MIR3 technology can try a system demonstration on the company’s website.

And in an effort to reduce the impact of natural disasters in the workplace, MIR3 executives are currently offering enterprises the following advice on best practices to follow when examining BC/DR plans:

Understand BC/DR needs—In the wake of an emergency, it becomes imperative for companies to maintain clear and effective channels of communication in order to quickly assess damages and coordinate recovery efforts. Because essential business operations can be affected by any stage of interruption, companies must realize the importance of investing in important message delivery systems in bringing, two-way, essential communication to employees and first responders

Choose notification systems that offer a range of choices—When selecting a notification system, research its capabilities and consider systems that allow two-way communication over a variety of channels, including land line, fax, mobile, SMS, Blackberry PIN-to-PIN, e-mail, and more.  These advanced features become very useful in the delivery of important and urgent information.

Ensure systems are up-to-date—Companies should regularly check their recipient lists to ensure that all contact information is up-to-date so when a disaster occurs, business continuity planners are confident that notifications are being delivered to the right person on the correct device.

Create escalation plans—Crisis situations demand immediate response from key “decision makers” across the organization. Today’s most intelligent notification systems include integrated mechanisms that support a call escalation process. For example, if the first decision maker contacted does not immediately respond, the notification software automatically escalates calls, texts or e-mails to the next appropriate executive until a response is finally achieved. Once an executive responds, an automated notification is sent out again to all decision makers verifying that a response and an appropriate action have been made to address the situation at-hand.

Train personnel and test systems—When creating BC/DR plans, it is essential to properly train personnel on how to use intelligent notification systems so they are able to send and monitor the entire alert process. This not only manages communication more effectively, but studies show that companies who educate their employees correctly achieve significantly greater response rates. Also, be sure to test alert systems during normal business hours and address any glitches to be certain notification deliveries are successful when needed. A rule of at least two system tests per year is a recommended industry standard to follow.

Incentivize all employees to sign-up for notifications—When a notification system is installed, it is critical that all user contact information is saved within the system’s files so that staff can be alerted immediately during an urgent situation.  Various incentive methods may be used—such as drawings, prizes, and awards—to persuade all required personnel to register. This ensures the accurate delivery of important messages at the right time, to the right person, on the right device.