In colleges, universities and other educational institutes, emergencies can occur and the institute is responsible for informing the campus population about it as fast and efficiently as possible. Because this message must get to all students, faculty, and staff, wherever they may be located across the campus, this task is quite difficult. LED school signs are an ideal solution to improve communication on campus and handle emergency situations in an efficient way.
How to select the right emergency communication system for an institution:
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Convenience
Cloud-based systems are a common digital signage software in many applications and these could be quite a challenge to adapt to. Educational institutions should consider technology that their staff are comfortable using on a daily basis. Administrators can then easily deploy fresh content, thereby lesser time spent by IT employees in straining staff how to use the system. Even easier is to have software that supports applications that are in ubiquitous settings. For example, any staff member can easily create a PowerPoint slideshow and share it on the campus community without much confusion.
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Advanced preparation
Emergency alert content must be ready before the situation occurs and there should be no room for errors on that content. In a crisis, often incorrect decisions are taken. Hence if a campus is not prepared, mistakes are more likely to happen. To minimize the number of decisions to be taken during an emergency, content templates must be prepared catering to a variety of emergency situations – fire, shootout, storms, etc.
By rehearsing these different scenarios, an institution can organize the broadcasting method across campus. It is also important to keep content generic – this helps staff to quickly fill in relevant details when in a hurry to get the information. Furthermore, top-level administrators, staff, and faculty should have access to this content so they can upload emergency messages even when they are away from campus.
Digital signage will be effective only if people look around and read what’s on the display. In today’s world, digital displays are used for more than just emergency reporting – marketing, instructional information, maps, and event announcements and so on. So by using digital signage for multiple purposes, students and staff will make an attempt to read the sign and stay updated on critical communication within the institute.
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Stay connected
An overall emergency communication solution will succeed only if easy-to-use and popular tools are brought together and made use of. A properly connected campus is where emergency alert content is displayed not only on digital signage across the campus but also on every computer, laptop, and tablet being used on campus. A text message or email alert system can ensure every individual on campus receives the emergency message onto their personal smart devices. An institute can also integrate strobe lights and alarms to ensure students with hearing and visual difficulties are also alerted about the situation.
Higher educational institutions must have some sort of plan in place for business continuity. Establishing an effective emergency communication strategy that incorporates LED school signs and other essential tools is an answer to ensure business continuity while also saving valuable lives in and around campus during crisis situations.
