Guest Editorial by Allan Sutherland, Founder, CEO, and President of In-telligent Inc.
In the wake of the tragedy at Ohio State University that left 11 people hospitalized, educational institutions across the country are again searching for ways to improve their security measures to be better prepared for the next attack.
And with over 400 incidents of mass violence in 2016 alone, more tragedies like this are inevitable.
Here Today
As schools look for solutions, it is a good time to remind their leadership that the answers needed to augment and dramatically improve their Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and security systems are available right here, right now, for free.
And, according to the Pew Research Center, as most Americans get their news via their smartphones, those answers are literally in the palms of their hands.
A Smarter Way
Over ninety percent of adults keep their smartphone within arm’s reach 24×7.
The near-universal distribution of smartphones, coupled with their out-of-the-box ability to run a wide range of complementary modes of communications, makes them ideal delivery systems to instantly and reliably transmit urgent information in a crisis situation.
Think About It
Smartphones have the ability to communicate emergency alerts and guidance through multiple languages using a variety of integrated tools including text messages, text-to-speech, images, maps, and more.
In addition, in sharp contrast to most conventional forms of emergency alert messaging, smartphone communication can be two-way, allowing for the gathering of valuable input on an evolving emergency from multiple touch-points.
Best of all, these transformative technologies can be easily and affordably integrated with existing EAPs, making it an easy choice for any school looking to improve the safety of their current systems.
The In-telligent Solution
The free In-telligent platform and accompanying app leverages the existing features of smartphones and realizes their collective potential to keep members of any community safe in an emergency.
Through the use of proprietary technology, an administrator can send announcements and alerts directly to a user’s mobile device in a specific area, ensuring communication is relevant and timely.
In-telligent also has the unique ability to override the notification settings on the user’s smartphone ensuring that urgent messages are noticed in real time, because, as every administrator knows, seconds matter.
The Future is Calling
We don’t have to go back to the drawing board to enhance our current approach to keeping our students safer.
We can answer the call to protect our children by taking advantage of the tools that are readily available.
No one can know when the next tragedy will occur. But there are decisive steps we can take right now, today, that will better prepare our school leaders when it does.
Nothing is more important than the safety of our children.
About the author:
Allan Sutherland is Founder, CEO, and President of In-telligent Inc., creator of the In-telligent communications platform and mobile application. Discover the power of In-telligent at www.in-telligent.com.
The In-telligent app is available as a free download for both Android and iOS powered devices. Find out how your school can become an In-telligent community.
In-telligent is a communications technology company dedicated to giving peace of mind to users by enabling them to be better informed, have greater awareness, and become more deeply engaged in their communities. Safety and performance of the platform are best-in-class, powered by Amazon Web Services, Apple, and Google.
With unprecedented functionality, and remarkable ease of use, the In-telligent platform builds awareness in a way that strengthens trust, heightens safety, captures real-time market data, and drives revenue.
In the case of an emergency, the In-telligent platform and mobile application working together ensure that your community will be alerted immediately – irrespective of the notification settings on their device.
