Safety isn’t simply a state of being. Safety is a way of life and a goal that each of us strives to reach. Not only for us, but also for our families, schools, and the organizations we work. To be legally compliant, organizations must create an emergency response and action plan for their organization. It is their responsibility to be prepared for emergency scenarios that could possibly happen to their organization - and notify their constituents. In this day, we all expect to be notified should an emergency occur.
Although police and local EMS, can always be contacted in the case of an emergency, it’s a best practice for organizations to have a critical communications plan. So, what happens if there’s an organization, or even a community, that isn’t prepared? How can a community manager ensure that everyone in the community is safe and prepared?
David Dew, CCM CCE, General Manager of Dewees Island wanted to ensure that the community, as a whole, was prepared. His goal was to provide a safe community to live and visit.
Dewees Island, near Charleston, SC is a private oceanfront island, nature preserve, and residence for hundreds. Being an island on the Southeastern Coast, there are a number of incidents that can affect everyday community operations, but also the safety of their residents and visitors. Dew didn’t want his staff, residents, and visitors to have to think about what they should do if there’s an emergency; he wanted a reliable and robust mass notification system that was capable of sending pre-configured messages to different groups of people using multiple avenues for delivery.
Dew says, “Safety is on my mind all of the time because of what we do. From transporting people from the mainland here to the island on our ferry service or whether it’s fire protection, security, or whether there’s a medical emergency. The safety of our residents, visitors, and our guests are of primary importance on this island.”
Dewees Island also uses Omnilert to set up a number of Scenarios® to help him align, capture, and immediately launch the island’s predefined Crisis Communications Plan. By doing this, they can respond more quickly to different types of emergency situations such as - ferry closures, system outages, or animal intruders.
In order to keep the island safe, Dew needed a way for him or his staff to send alerts from anywhere. “With Omnilert, it’s completely accessible regardless of where you are.” Dew is able to send alerts via mobile phone, desktop computer, or Apple Watch.
Learn the different ways Dewees Island uses their mass notification system to keep their staff, residents, and visitors safe and aware of emergencies. Read more about the different ways Dewees Island is keeping their people safe.
