Emergency Info Sharing Strategies for Fast Crisis Response

Seconds can be lost in all sorts of ways during an emergency. Time is lost searching for plans, compliance data or other contact information. In the heat of the moment, a second lost here or there can prove to be the difference between life and death. Emergency Info Sharing is more important than ever to protect people, properties and communities. ARC Facilities has seen firsthand the value of having access to critical information in real time for facilities managers, emergency responders and internal teams to make critical decisions in emergency situations. So, what is holding you back and how can we help you bridge the gap between having plans and procedures documented on paper and being able to react and take action in an emergency situation?

Why Rapid Communication Matters in Emergencies

Know When You Need Emergency Blueprints, Plans And Other Information: In the event of an emergency, second’s count and so does the availability of vital information. Building fires, natural disasters and security breaches are rapid occurring events. Being able to immediately access emergency procedures documents, floor plans and diagrams of high voltage cut-off points and emergency contact numbers are some of the important plans and information required to be available and on the spot to prevent any delays or tragic incidents from occurring. The use of outdated paper binders or searching for documents that are not known to be located in a particular place or not being able to find vital information on digital devices are some examples of situations where delays can occur, which can have serious life threatening consequences.

Emergencies demand that critical information is shared quickly – both within your organization and with outside agencies such as the fire department, police or other maintenance or advisory contractors. Having access to up-to-date information at the scene of an emergency is also crucial for emergency services. Digital access to emergency plans from any device enables facility managers to quickly provide first responders with the information they need to respond more effectively and with greater certainty. In emergency information sharing, speed, accuracy and accessibility are critical to life and to preventing a minor emergency from becoming a major disaster and a disaster for your reputation. Ensuring that all parties have access to the same information in real-time can prevent escalation and make emergency situations easier to manage.

Are you interested in learning the ways in which modern technology can support your disaster preparedness efforts? Contact us today to book a free demo of our Emergency Information solution for facilities management and disaster recovery planning. Remember, it is never too early to prepare your business, but it may be one minute too late, and the effects could be irreparable. Contact Us today for more information! Book a Free Demo Here

Common Challenges in Emergency Details Exchange

Emergency contact information is important to get to the right people in an emergency, but many of us know how hard it can be to actually share and receive this information in practice. From broken HVAC systems to burst water pipes, there are many reasons that sharing critical information in an emergency can be hugely challenging. Are you still using paper plan binders and individual cloud storage accounts for emergency contact information throughout your facilities? Are you aware of where your emergency contact information is housed and how it is kept current? Information silos can create problems between departments and between locations. For example, if there is ever a need to quickly hand off information from one person to another, if that information is scattered in silos across a department or location, the handoff can be slowed or even obstructed. Similarly, if emergency contact information is scattered in silos across a campus or among different locations, it can actually make it harder to get that information when it is needed most.

Safety Training Deficits Remain Key Issues Another key safety issue is that many training deficits persist, due in part to staff rotation and job changes, resulting in a lack of experience with various Emergency Procedures and Access Codes. In addition, in the case of teams working in the healthcare, education, government and industrial sectors, there is a high need for complete, reliable documentation of procedures and processes in a matter of seconds for audit purposes or to facilitate an emergency response. All of these challenges occur while trying to work with old school communication systems that are based on methods such as mass emails, memos that need to be printed out, and using walkie-talkies, all of which lead to uncontrolled delays that greatly increase the potential for there to be an instance where critical information is not communicated to the right people in time.

The EHS professional’s job just got a whole lot harder. ARC Facilities is here to help by making the Emergency Information easy to develop, maintain and disseminate. Our Emergency Information systems allow you to centralize, update and disperse critical information with just a few mouse clicks giving you more time to react in an emergency and therefore increased peace of mind.

Understanding Emergency Info Sharing Essentials

We think you’ll be a bit surprised by what actually matters in a true emergency. It turns out it’s fairly basic information; things like building plans, emergency contact numbers, procedures and code compliance documents. All valuable documents whether it be building plans or emergency procedures need to be readily available at the facility and from a distance off in case of an emergency. This includes contact information for all on site personnel, as well as Emergency Response Plan (ERP) contact information for municipal emergency services and hazardous materials teams in the area, especially for facilities located near high risk operations such as petrochemical facilities, airports or major highway corridors, oil and gas sites, and rail lines and transfer stations. Accurate and up-to-date plans need to be available in the event of an incident for all to act on effectively and for municipal teams to handle the situation quickly and efficiently. It all adds up to life saving information at your fingertips. These may seem like simple things but they are actually the key to your safety in a critical moment.

Evacuation diagrams for the entire property should be large in format and current in date. It is important to have key contact numbers for local emergency services, for facility management or a building representative as well as for the designated safety officer. For health care facilities, educational facilities and certain types of industrial facilities it is important to have information on building systems shutdown and details related to hazardous materials and locations of AEDs, fire extinguishers and emergency exits. Of note, requirements set by organizations such as the NFPA, detail specific required components and steps necessary in relation to having evacuation procedures in place and in what format the information should be kept.

Important information needed in an emergency should be readily available to you on whatever device you have at hand – mobile app, tablet or through a secure website. Centralizing this information helps to reduce confusion, minimize the time it takes to act and enables a greater level of coordination with local municipal emergency partners. Our goal at ARC Facilities is to make this information exchange process as safe, easy and reliable as possible so that you can quickly move from prepared to proactive.

Emergency Info Sharing Best Practices: What’s Important to Know? Learn more about Emergency Info Sharing through our solution overview

Key Technologies for Emergency Data Sharing

The world has changed. Modern problems need modern solutions. It’s time to face the fact that the days of using three-ring binders and spreadsheets for emergency preparedness and response at facilities are behind us. The smart facilities teams are turning to web-based Emergency Operations Center (EOC) software and mobile accessibility solutions to share critical emergency information with stakeholders in real-time.

Mobile apps enable business continuity and emergency preparedness by providing accessible, instant resources such as Emergency Procedures plans, compliance documents, and Contact Rosters on the devices of employees and first responders. The Cloud-Based Document Storage which is part of ARC Facilities’ solution allows for unlimited version control and real-time document synchronization with access controls to restrict access to sensitive information to the appropriate people. With shared resource access, Incident Managers can easily share limited access to emergency responders and restrict sensitive, confidential internal resources from being accessible. In addition to shared resource access, integrations with asset maintenance software, and Building Management Systems ensure information flows seamlessly from one application to another, at the right time, and in the right format.

Emergency Situations Right digital infrastructure allows you to manage access to any number of properties, campuses or facilities, wherever they are located. With EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, you can have all information for a single medical center at your fingertips or be able to respond to emergencies effectively for an entire national school district – nationwide. With modern tools such as our Emergency Information management platform you can feel secure in the knowledge that in the event of an emergency you can react quickly and efficiently.

Many organizations struggle with dealing with legacy documents and facility plans in a variety of formats. With our Legacy Documents solution, creating a secure and centralized repository of critical information for emergency information sharing is easy. As one piece of creating a stronger emergency preparedness program, Legacy Documents can aid in the transition of this type of information from paper and obsolete formats to a digital format that is more usable and accessible. 

Best Practices and Privacy in Crisis Communication

While the right technology is important for emergency preparedness, it is equally important to have the right strategy and process in place to leverage its capabilities. We encourage organizations to establish formal processes for handling emergency situations, by documenting procedures for sharing information and providing staff with the training and information they need to know what to do in an emergency. Desk staff should know where to find information, and executives should know how that information will be distributed and received in an emergency and how to react in an emergency situation.

Here are some proven best practices to optimize emergency data exchange:

• Centralize essential documents in a secure digital platform, accessible from multiple devices

• Update emergency plans, contact lists and evacuation maps at least 6 monthly, or more frequently if required by regulation
• Practice holding active shooter response drills with law enforcement while simultaneously accessing and sharing important information with other agencies and first responders on scene. This should be done monthly to ensure that all protocols are understood by staff and law enforcement and that all systems are working properly for timely access and sharing.
• Identify roles and permissions within the enterprise social network - know who has permission to share, discuss, edit or view content

• Document and audit all info sharing actions for compliance and continuous improvement

Emergency procedures aren’t just important in movie scripts – protecting employees, students, patients and visitors with emergency procedures is crucial in every sector. Yet emergency procedures present complex issues relating to personal privacy and sensitive facility information. Many solutions try to manage this balance by relying on encryption or access controls. However, more robust measures, such as end-to-end encryption, strong password protection, user authentication and auditing, are all required. This also extends to controlling who can access, view, print or send out EMERGENCY procedures or contact information for selected groups of personnel. These are additional compliance measures that we frequently see in the Healthcare, Education and Finance sectors. Our clients regularly entrust us with their Healthcare Compliance documentation and other documentation required for regulatory compliance, in order to facilitate their ongoing commitment to the highest levels of personal privacy protection.

As time goes by your Emergency Response Plan will require periodic review and updates. In addition, the system will require upgrades from time to time. In addition your electronic records will aid in your compliance with any regulations that you may be required to meet. See how Building Plans can make a very secure and easy platform for all your emergency response requirements.

How Emergency Info Sharing Saves Lives and Shapes the Future

Emergency Info Sharing (EIS) bridges the gap between knowing and doing, and saves lives. From catastrophic events like natural disasters and earthquakes, to fires, floods, and accidents, countless events have proven that access to digital building information – including floor plans and emergency details – enables emergency responders to make better decisions, mitigate more damage, and saves more lives. With quick access to evacuation maps, location of mechanical shutoffs, and key contacts such as the facility manager, emergency responders can act quickly and confidently without wasting critical time searching for the information they need or wondering if someone has access to the information they need to address an emergency.

Keeping your people and premises safe is one aspect of facility management, but the other is critical to the success of your organization. Effective facility management is about more than just incident prevention; it is also about business continuity and resilience. Timely and quality information flow between departments helps to maintain daily business operations, minimize damage to properties, reduce anxiety for employees, visitors and the surrounding community and can help to ensure that employees and customers are safe and informed. Facility management is evolving into a role with a greater focus on building and supporting a safe and compliant high performance organization, where employee, customer and community confidence is key.

Next Generation Emergency Notification Coming to Campus Faster, and with More Innovation

The CampusEAI Emergency Notification Service will soon provide not only faster but more effective emergency notification services. New advances in technology are bringing AI and machine learning capabilities which will provide the possibility of being able to predict an emergency situation or send an alert in the minutes between a situation arising and it becoming more severe. More seamless interaction between the technologies of buildings and systems, and emergency notification services will also give authorities and the university with the ability to better monitor a campus environment in real time with less delay for a more rapid response to emergencies. CampusEAI digital services for compliance with regulatory changes will also serve to reduce the administrative burden on government, health, education and business institutions and on universities and their campus infrastructure.

Our goal is to create the future of tomorrow today. Whatever your facilities management needs may be – healthcare, schools or commercial/industrial properties – ARC Facilities Management Software will allow you to be more efficient, coordinate all facility related work, and be better prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. Start your future today.

Simple Steps to Improve Emergency Info Sharing Today

You don’t have to undertake an overhaul of your emergency info sharing processes to improve them. Try these 5 simple actions and make your organization safer, more resilient to emergencies and better prepared for whatever unexpected challenges arise:

• Walk the premises to audit where your emergency plans and critical documents are located, and who has access to them

• Digitize paper documents and centralize them in a cloud-based platform
• Update and clearly label all emergency contact lists and building maps
• Train your staff on where to access and share emergency information with guests - especially in a mobile environment

• Collaborate with local emergency responders to test your system’s functionality and communication flow

Emergency Info Sharing is an Ongoing Conversation We believe improving emergency info sharing is an ongoing conversation. That a prepared organization is one that continues to plan, train and prepare their staff for an emergency. It begins by partnering with a company such as Arc, using innovative emergency management technology and by making emergency preparedness a company wide priority. These foundational elements served as the basis for the emergency preparedness plans that ultimately saved lives and protected property at many of the organizations you’ll read about in our Customer Stories.

Get a quote for tailored advice and a structured approach to helping you achieve a safer workplace by contacting ARC Facilities. We can help you utilise your mass notification system for emergency awareness as a key safety initiative within your organisation.

FAQ

Why is rapid communication crucial during emergencies?

There is no time to lose important information during an emergency. Key information must be communicated to emergency responders to enable them to make informed decisions and react in a timely manner. Miscommunication can lead to confusion which can be fatal. At ARC Facilities, we are dedicated to ensuring that the right information is available when it is needed in an emergency situation.

What are common obstacles in emergency info sharing?

Why Communication Breakdowns Still Occur – E-Book Summary FirstCare brings to light that communication breakdowns happen a lot due to outdated communication processes, unclear procedures and inadequate training. Consistency in data format may also hinder effective communication. This eBook highlights the issues that lead to communication breakdowns and how it may have affected emergency response. Find out how FirstCare can assist in improving collaboration of emergency responders and rapid conveyance of critical information required in an emergency situation.

How does ARC Facilities protect privacy during crisis communication?

Security of Highly Sensitive Information is Our Priority This program uses encrypted platforms and highly controlled access to highly sensitive data to ensure our confidentiality and privacy protocols are met. In addition, our emergency info sharing system undergoes ongoing technological maintenance and compliance checks to protect all shared data.

Which technologies enhance emergency info sharing?

Mobile Apps, Cloud-Based Dashboard, and Emergency Alert Systems The ESS and CS systems include a wide range of mobile apps, cloud-based dashboard, and emergency alert systems such as real time mapping. These tools provide tremendous benefits and we always look to incorporate them as part of our emergency response operations.

What steps can organizations take to improve emergency info sharing?

Improve Team Performance by Setting up Procedures, Conducting Training and Using Technology Teams that are efficient in their work set up procedures, undertake training and use technology to the fullest. The adoption of good practices and regular auditing are essential to be ready to provide fast and efficient information exchange in times of urgency.