How One Utility Organization Enhanced Mass Communication: A Q&A With ElectriCities
By Stephanie Osorno, Marketing Copywriter at Alertus Technologies
Is your utility organization prepared with a crisis communication plan? Are you able to quickly reach all your employees during a time-sensitive emergency?
While effective communication is important for any organization, it’s particularly essential within a critical and highly-relied upon public service industry like utilities. ElectriCities, a non-profit membership organization specializing in supporting public power communities, knows first-hand the impact of successful facility-wide communication.
We recently spoke to David Schlabach, a Senior Software Developer at ElectriCities of North Carolina, who shares how his team leveraged the Alertus System to create a multilayered, integrated, and streamlined communication system across its three locations.
Name: David Schlabach
Title: Senior Software Developer
Organization: ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc.
Can you tell us about your role as Senior Software Developer at ElectriCities?
I help with the development of mobile apps and websites; I create a lot of internal tools that are used by our various departments. One of the tools I created was a custom mobile app for employee safety and notification, which ties into the Alertus System.
What kind of communication challenges was your organization facing before implementing the Alertus System?
Years back, before our current VP of IT came on board, we started to see an uptick in violence across some states. We started to think, how do we go about notifying our employees if there’s an issue, whether it’s a human aggressor or weather-related event?
Previously, we’d use a code word, Edna, via our PA system for an incident such as an active shooter. However, most new employees didn’t know what that meant. So if someone came over the PA and said “There’s an Edna in the building,” not everyone would understand. We needed to come up with a more concise way of getting that information to people.
Which Alertus products did your organization implement and how are they helping to solve that initial communication challenge?
ElectriCities installed the Alertus Desktop Notification and the Alert Beacon. By this time we had created a custom emergency notification system we called EDNA (Emergency Disaster Notification Alert) as a throwback. Our VP of IT decided that we should integrate the Alertus System with the ElectriCities EDNA mobile app for a one-stop solution. Now, if we activate an alert from that mobile app, employees get notified via push notifications, email, voicemail, desktop alerts, Alert Beacon notifications, and our PA system which is also integrated with the app.
What has been the biggest benefit of having a notification solution like the Alertus System?
Ease of use is a main benefit. Also, in addition to emergency notifications, we can also use the system for non-critical weather alerts. Our CFO can send everyone an alert such as, “The office is closed. Work with your manager to determine whether you can work from home or come into the building.” He can activate that alert through the ElectriCities EDNA mobile app or website I developed to trigger all our notification endpoints. Before, he had to type up an email and call an employee’s voice system to leave a voicemail. Everything is completely automated now.
Based on your experience, why do you think having a mass notification solution is important for the utility industry?
It’s particularly beneficial for organizations spread across different locations. We have 130 employees who are all over the state — from the beach to the mountains. It’s critical to get information into those people’s hands quickly. The Alertus System provides us with a centralized way to disperse that information everywhere.
What tips can you offer to other utility organizations like yours looking to enhance their crisis communication efforts?
Find a solution that meets your needs, is easy to manage, and potentially has a low overhead management and cost. With a solution like the Alertus System, you can maintain efficient communication with your employees.
You can hear more from David during Alertus’ recent webinar, “Emergency Preparedness for Utility & Energy Companies: Best practices for overcoming Today's and Tomorrow's Challenges.” Catch the on-demand replay here!