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Emergency Alert Systems
This section of our technical library presents articles written about Emergency Alert Systems and Disaster Recovery definitions, terms and related information.
The 911Broadcast emergency notification and alert service can deliver a large number of phone calls using a network of phone systems employing digital phone lines simultaneously. Should a disaster such as a snow storm, wild fire or flood hit your area, 911Broadcast systems can alert your community quickly providing specific instructions if an evacuation is required.
This service is available using our emergency broadcasting systems. If a dangerous chemical spill occurs in your community, you can target specific areas to call. If a severe snow storm hits your area, your community can be notified of school closings or event cancellations.
DSC Announces Major Expansion of Emergency Broadcast Network
New centers provide major increase in call volume capacity
Source: Database Systems Corp.
Database Systems Corp. (DSC) today announces that it has completed the roll-out and testing of a major expansion to its emergency notification network. DSC has opened a new call center in California to handle expanded call capacity that will augment its Phoenix call center. In addition, DSC has completed contracting and finalized testing with a major communications company to provide high volume emergency and commercial calls.
With these additions, DSC can now provide nearly 200,000 calls per hour, with emergency broadcast messages given highest priority. The multiple centers also provide redundant facilities for backup and security.
DSC provides emergency notification services for communities and organizations that need to send phone messages to its members. DSC has deployed an emergency command and control system that manages emergency notification phone campaigns by distributing calls over a network of phone systems. This network control system intelligently routes phone calls based upon phone system capacity and availability to achieve the maximum rate of community notification.
Known as 911Broadcast, this emergency notification service is completely automated. Subscribers to this service can manage their own phone lists and messages. Graphical mapping systems are available to assist subscribers in selecting the members of a community to be called. The actual alert process can be activated from the internet, from a networked PC or by touchtone phone responses. Subscribers likewise can have emergency messages initiated automatically from their own computer using XML messaging to our center.
An emergency message may be a simple recorded phone message, an email alert, fax, or pager. TDD and TTY Messages can be sent to special phone devices for the hearing impaired. With phone messages, the called individual can be connected to an operator or agent if necessary.
911Broadcast service requires no purchase or maintenance of equipment by subscribers. Subscriptions require a setup and monthly fee plus a usage charge. Emergency broadcast phone systems can likewise be purchased.
About Database Systems Corp.
Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Database Systems Corp., founded in 1978, provides call center technology to small, medium and large call centers throughout the country. Primarily a software company, Database has also developed its own PC based phone system (PACER) for use in small to medium call centers. PACER includes predictive dialer, automatic call distribution, interactive voice response, and call recording features. Database has also developed a complete CRM software application toolkit (TELEMATION) as well as CTI software systems. DSC products run on most UNIX servers including IBM, SUN, HP, and LINUX, as well as WINDOWS based servers.
Activating Your Emergency Broadcasts
DSC systems allow you to initiate an emergency broadcast using several methods. Because emergencies can arise at any hour of the day or night, we have provided these multiple techniques so that you are not required to staff a center 24 by 7.
- Emergency Control Center
- DSC provides an Emergency Control Center PC interface to our phone systems that manages one emergency phone dialer or an entire network of dialers. Our emergency control program runs either on your local dialer or on the network where your dialer resides. This program lets you download phone lists and emergency phone messages and initiate the emergeny broadcast.
This program likewise lets you configure your network or emergency dialers and produces reports on the performance of your system or network.
- Web Based Control Center
- Our web based emergency notification system lets you access a web page for managing and activating emergency broadcasts. After entering a secure user id and password, you can download phone lists and recorded emergency messages. Using a menu selection, you can select any phone list/message combination to be broadcast online and initiate the emergency alert.
- Phone Activated Emergency Dialing
- If you are not able to access the internet and use our web based emergency dialing interface, we allow you to initiate an emergency phone campaign using a simple touchphone into our phone system.
After properly validating your account id and password, the phone system lets you select a pre-recorded messsage (or record one while you are on the phone). It then prompts you to identify the list of phone numbers to be called (previously maintained under your account). Finally this phone program will let you listen to the message to be sent and inform you of the size of the list of numbers to be called as a final check. If everything is ok, then pressing a touchphone key activates the calling program.
- Computer Activated Dialing
- Our emergency notification network also supports computer and web connectivity using XML technology. Thus, emergency communication can be initiated from your website or computer by automatically sending our emergency phone system a message containing a list of one or more phone numbers and a message to be sent to these individuals. The message can be text (which is automatically converted to voice) or a voice file.
For further information, visit our Emergency XML messaging web page.
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