No business wants to think about a violent incident occurring at their workplace. But each year, more than 2 million American employees report having been a victim of various types of workplace violence. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 807 workers were fatally injured in work-related attacks in 2017. To put that into perspective, that’s nearly 16% percent of the 5,147 workplace fatalities from the same year. Read More
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there were over 33,000 workplace fires from 2013–2017 totaling $1.5 billion in property loss. Understanding how a fire might originate is the first step organizations should take in protecting its people and assets.
Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a completely fireproof facility. There are simply too many factors present to safeguard against every hazard. While workplace fires are sometimes out of an organization’s control, understanding risk will help dramatically reduce the likelihood a fire will occur. Read More
Wildfire season is here and organizations have a lot at stake. The far-reaching impact of wildfires on business is substantial, but there are proactive steps companies can take. Read More
At the dawn of the 20th century, Galveston was arguably slated to become the largest city in Texas. A 27-mile long island rising a mere five feet above sea level, the bustling town had grown into the state’s central port. Numerous millionaires called it home, and downtown’s Strand District was dubbed the “Wall Street of the South.”
All of that changed on September 8, 1900.
With little warning and a lack of the communication technology we now have, a Category 4 hurricane slammed into the coast. Winds in excess of 140 mph battered homes and businesses. A storm surge over 15 feet high swallowed the island. By the following morning, the entire city was leveled. Read More
One of the biggest challenges a business faces during a wildfire is communication. Wildfires can grow from a small brush fire into an inferno that engulfs thousands of acres in only a matter of hours.
As a result, officials must be on their toes and have the right technology, processes, and training in place to ensure those in harm’s way are given the information they need to protect themselves and their loved ones at a moment’s notice. Read More
NOAA recently released their 2019 hurricane predictions and the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are expected to have a near-normal season. Daniel Kaniewski, Ph.D., FEMA deputy administrator for resilience said, “It only takes one event to devastate a community so now is the time to prepare. Do you have cash on hand? Do you have adequate insurance, including flood insurance? Do you have communication and evacuation plans?” This is the time to consider these questions.
As businesses and organizations craft their hurricane preparedness plans, it is vital to business continuity and employee safety that hurricane communications are relevant and can be sent rapidly as conditions change. The fastest way to ensure every employee receives the right message at the right time is to utilize hurricane notification templates. Modern emergency communications solutions will provide templates that companies can send across all communication channels, including email, text, push notifications and phone calls. Read More
Hurricanes are fast, furious and can last for days. Do you have a hurricane communication plan that you can use before, during, and after one hits?
The average life of a hurricane is nine days and it is most destructive during its first 12 hours onshore. As you think about preparing your business for a hurricane, you want to keep organizational communication top of mind. Doing so will help mitigate losses and improve safety outcomes. Read More
Most people are familiar with the brightly colored cone of a hurricane’s projected track on a radar map. Weather experts are able to pinpoint a storm’s trajectory with increasing accuracy as it approaches land. But it’s easy to forget that the damage a major hurricane unleashes can reach far beyond its initial point of impact.
Businesses and residents far inland feel the impact of major hurricanes, directly through wind damage and flooding or indirectly as the result of a disruption to shipping routes, commerce, and unforeseen issues. When evaluating potential hurricane damage to your business or residence, the narrow scope of a storm’s path can be misleading. Read More
Last week AlertMedia hosted a webinar on hurricane preparation and the importance of employee communication. The conversation was led by Paul Yura, a Warning Coordination Meteorologist from the National Weather Service, and Peter Steinfeld, AlertMedia’s VP of Sales.
Paul and Peter provided useful insight on communication best practices that can be utilized as we approach hurricane season in order to ensure employee safety and improve business preparation. If you missed the webinar, you can access the recording here. Read More
“Financial institutions should consider developing an awareness program to let customers, service providers, and regulators know how to contact the institution if normal communication channels are not in operation.”
–Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Read More
