An emergency notification system can be a wonderful addition to your business or infrastructure, but it won't help you when you most need it if it isn't properly implemented and your employees aren't made familiar with how it works.  In order to get the most out of your emergency notification system you need to make sure that your employees are aware that it is in place and they should be trained on how to handle notifications that are sent out from the system.  As safety and security remain key issues both at home and in the workplace, taking the time to work through these basic steps in properly implementing your emergency notification system can mean the difference between a well-handled emergency and a situation that quickly gets out of hand.

Methods of Notification
Once you have decided on an emergency notification system and have it in place, you should take the time to explain to your employees the different types of notification that the system will use and in what situations each will be employed.  Many emergency notification systems will use multiple types of notifications which can be directed to either specific members of your workforce or everyone who is listed in the system; often certain notification types will be used for specific individuals while others will be broadcast to everyone so as to ensure that all are aware of the emergency situation but those who must deal with it directly are given additional information.  Your emergency notification system may employ mass e-mail, recorded telephone messages, pager calls, or other methods of contact.  If no answer is received or no response is given, it may be set up to try alternate means of contact to ensure that the message is delivered successfully.

How to React to Notification
An important part of managing an emergency situation is making sure that your employees don't panic, and making them familiar with your emergency notification system will help ensure that they know how to react in the event that a situation arises and notifications are sent out.  Make sure that your employees know that the emergency notification system is designed to give them the relevant information for them at that time, and that they should follow any instructions given in a calm manner and without panicking or making things more chaotic.  Unless instructed to do so, they should refrain from calling in for more information as that may tie up phone lines which may be needed for communicating with emergency services.

Follow-up Notification
Another key item that your employees should be made aware of is that many emergency notification systems contain instructions to send follow-up notifications at regular intervals or as more information is made available.  Let them know that they should read or listen to these follow-up messages carefully, as they may contain new or updated information that was not available at the time of the original notification.  These follow-up messages will continue for as long as new information is added to the system to be released or until the emergency situation has been resolved and the system has been reset.  It may be a good idea to run simulations from time to time in which notifications are sent out to your employees so that they will have practice in reacting to them and will know exactly what they should do in the event of an actual emergency.