Communicating with the masses has been a fundamental challenge humans have grappled with since the dawn of existence. As time progressed, the ingenuity of man yielded advancements in the ability to communicate with his tribes, villages, and communities. From the smoke signal to mass emergency notification systems, this evolution has produced infinite capabilities to communicate almost instantly with the masses—regardless of where they are.
Such advancements in the power to communicate have spawned a new dimension in how to harness and manage large group communications. Advancements in technology, not even imagined a decade ago, create opportunities for improved communication as long as the technology is properly incorporated in a well-prepared program.
Establishing what role communications will play in your emergency response for each part of an incident is a prerequisite for a well-prepared program.
The “Critical Communications Cycle” is the blueprint that maps each phase of incident communications with the associated actions required for each phase. There are distinct aspects of preparation, before an incident, that all need to be addressed. It is essential to notify people via multiple modalities during the first minute of an incident. It is also very important to continue collaborating and monitoring during the incident. After every incident, it is important to review the response and look for ways to improve.
Working with thousands of organizations for over a decade helped shape this “Cycle” worldview. This model is broken down into three parts - “Before, During and After” an incident occurs - to help you have an organized approach to emergency notification.
Download the Critical Communications Cycle eBook or whitepaper to delve into the different stages of the Cycle, view the full Critical Communications Cycle Infographic, and learn more about how you can prepare for an emergency using your emergency notification system.
