Crises come in all shapes and sizes. While amfaxENS provides the common denominator for disseminating emergency notices to large numbers of people quickly, it cannot substitute for thorough preparation. An effective plan must include pre-preparation and foresight, and an understanding that no single plan can provide a comprehensive solution.

When creating an Emergency Response Plan make sure to assign specific roles and responsibilities to faculty and staff during crises.  Prepare lists of emergency contact information for emergency services (police, fire, hospital etc.), school officials, and parents.

Phone trees, though they can be effective, are not efficient. It may take hours for an average school to contact every parent or guardian, via the traditional “phone tree,” especially those with multiple contact locations (i.e. home, office, cell etc.).

Technology has provided other modes of communication which can be very effective during a crisis. Some common tools that may be used include the following: 

Telephone	Computer Telecommunications	Cellular Phones	Fax Machines
Although the telephone is the most commonly used communications tool in schools, most schools do not have enough lines and,  worse, service is typically lost when electricity is lost.	A relatively new tool, the potential capability of existing computers to be used for communication both within the school and to  other sites needs to be assessed as part of the preplanning process. E-mail or electronic bulletin boards may be a useful tool for updating information for staff, central office, other schools in the affected area, and possibly for other community  agencies.	Increasingly available and affordable, the role of cellular phones as a communications tool needs to be carefully assessed. They may be the only tool working when electric service is out and are a particularly useful link to staff members who may be en route to or from the site of an accident or other emergency.	The fax machine is a potentially valuable tool for both sending  and receiving information in an emergency. In the case of off-campus accidents,  for example, lists of students and staff members involved, their locations, and  needed telephone numbers can be quickly and accurately communicated.  Medical information, release forms, and medical authorizations can be faxed, signed, and returned in emergencies.

Further advancements in technology have provided schools with a way to incorporate multiple modes of communication from one source – an Emergency Notification System.

While there are several reliable companies offering Emergency Notification Systems the Amfax ENS is a Turnkey system you can integrate easily into your Emergency Response Plan overnight.  It is fully functional right out of the box because there is nothing to install. It is available through the Internet at any location from any pc with web access. It is also available via any touch-tone phone, and even from your cell phone. You can use to deliver emergency alerts simultaneously to thousands within minutes; quickly and reliably via fax, email, phone and even sms (text). With its built in access to 39,000 phone lines, you can reach parents, guardians, faculty, and staff of any emergencies, or any broadcast message, no matter where they are almost simultaneously. With Amfax ENS you will reach every contact at any location within a matter of minutes.

Communication and public safety during crises should not be compromised by the time it takes to figure out how to contact key personnel. An Emergency Notification System not only simplifies your ability to execute normal operations and emergency management efficiently, but also helps by providing a basis for creating and easily maintaining an effective Emergency Response Plan.

Beyond the emergency messaging arena, such a system will also eliminate the many hours School staff may spend calling parents, sending home reminders for homework, field trips, fundraisers, club activities, conferences and other school activities.  An ENS system automates these time consuming processes and frees-up their time for more significant tasks.

For more information on incorporating an Emergency Notification System to your Emergency Plan, feel free to contact us at:

The Amfax Corporation

150 Beekman Street, 4^th Floor

New York, NY 10038

(800) US AMFAX