How Emergency Notifications in Schools Can Help Save Lives
In the digital age, the transmission of information takes paramount importance above everything else. Whether it be for business or leisure, people need to stay updated in real-time. Perhaps the most obvious situation where information dissemination is crucial is during emergencies and disasters.
Disaster Management in Schools
Schools have a fundamental need to get information fast in dire situations. A notification system that can be triggered during emergencies can make such a huge difference in what kind of response to expect. As in the nature of any school emergency, students, staff, and even parents are at the mercy of how effective an emergency notification system is at alerting them and the proper authorities.
A 2018 study by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that many school districts don’t have plans to alert students and the staff of emergency situations. Thus, they don’t know how to appropriately respond to natural disasters, accidents, or even outbreaks of diseases.
To minimize risks during emergencies in school, a public announcement system needs to be in place. These situations can vary, and the risks are even more uncertain. To give you an idea, here are a couple of scenarios where an emergency notification system is necessary:
1. Fire
Every state enforces different policies on conducting fire drills in school. Drills are effective in educating students and staff; however, it doesn’t guarantee that they are informed of the situation if it happens.
When a fire breaks out, each and every person in the building should be notified via the notification system to ensure a quick evacuation.
2. Gas and Chemical Leaks
Hazardous substances have a way of ending up in schools, especially in science labs and technical facilities. Gas lines in and out of the campus also pose a risk to people if there is a leak. When that happens, the situation can become lethal through exposure to the substance—or worse, an explosion!
3. Accidents
Accidents of any nature can cause panic if not dealt with carefully. It can come in the form of vehicular accidents, slips and falls, or even injuries from falling objects. These may be considered smaller in scale than the rest of the entries here—but they can still cause harm. Alerting people ahead of time about areas where accidents have happened, or is likely to happen, is just as important as any other emergency.
4. Active Shooter Situations
An active shooting situation is perhaps one of the most terrifying experiences a person can endure in their lifetime.
In recent years, schools have become the stage for such gruesome crimes. A lot could happen in a short time during an active shooter situation. The quicker you can warn students, staff, and also the parents of the dangers within the school, then the faster they can take action and keep themselves safe.
5. Natural Disasters
Calamities can strike at any time, even on the calmest of school days. Tornadoes and earthquakes are usually the first to come to mind, but hurricanes, floods, and forest fires are also likely to occur in certain areas. Through an automated text messaging system, the school can inform students to take shelter and evacuate at the earliest possible time in such cases.
Conclusion
Whatever the situation is, schools should know how to respond to it to mitigate the possible risks. Information dissemination is essential if the school or the people inside it is in distress. This is where an emergency notification system comes in handy.
Are you looking for a mass text messaging service that you can use to send notifications for school-wide emergencies? Zoom Talk Text is a company that knows the importance of communication in any situation. Through our powerful web-based platform, schools can take advantage of text messaging for announcements, alerts, and reminders of any kind. Contact us and get started for free!