Layered security is a term that continues to grow in popularity as more and more organizations determine that employing only one system of defense isn’t guaranteed to provide an appropriate level of prevention or reaction during an emergency situation. That expansion certainly applies to delivering emergency alerts.
High profile incidents like the Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook shootings have boosted the demand for sophisticated mass notification systems that provide multiple means of communication with a large audience. One projection indicates the mass notification market is expected to be worth more than $6.4 billion by 2018.
On the surface, that makes perfect sense. The more layers you use to deliver messages, the more likely you are to cover all of your bases. While that theory contains a certain amount of truth, the bigger picture is more complicated. It’s one thing to make sure your messages are noticed. It’s another to ensure they elicit an appropriate response.
According to a 2013 study conducted by the University of Texas at Austin titled “Using Multiple Channels and Sources to Combat Noise and Escalate a Sense of Urgency,” the most effective way to get across the level of seriousness for any given situation is to send multiple messages through multiple channels.
In order to achieve a comprehensive system that can deliver messages that are both reliable and redundant, it’s important to consider these eight solutions.
When a crisis occurs, you want to take every measure possible to ensure that people have the information they need to be safe.
Michael Zuidema is the communications manager for Code Blue Corp.
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