Using Technology to Reduce Incident Response Time

Tragedies and disasters dominate today’s news cycles. Though the presence of bad news is not itself a recent development, the frequency and widespread publicity of these reports has become increasingly prevalent. Organizations need to assess their emergency plans to make sure they’re prepared to handle critical events.

The ability to swiftly respond to incidents is a fundamental element of preparedness, and its importance can’t be overstated. In many cases, seconds make a difference between life and death. Organizations must do their best to ensure rapid, efficient responses to fast-moving incidents. Attaining this goal is much more realistic for institutions using the most current, advanced technology available. Comprehensive, integrated solutions help these organizations be better prepared and improve their prevention efforts by providing the ability to effectively track and report incidents, analyze data, and identify trends.

Security software solutions and technologies are constantly changing. To ensure your organization’s processes and tools are up to date, research available and emerging solutions in the public safety and security realm and consider upgrading if your technology is outdated. GPS tracking, geofencing, and wearable safety devices are among the latest technologies that many institutions are adopting to help increase security and improve safety.

EVERY SECOND COUNTS

The first step to improving your organization’s response is empowering your employees and/or students with the tools and knowledge they need to take decisive action. If only a few people possess the knowledge and initiative to act, the likelihood of wasting crucial seconds or minutes increases exponentially. For organizations, investing in the time and resources to provide safety training and establish emergency response protocols is invaluable.

Providing personal safety or scenario-specific training (i.e., what to do in the event of an armed intruder) or offering on-site first aid and CPR certification courses to staff are basic steps to help ensure timely and appropriate response.

While training helps bolster prevention efforts, on-site emergency resources are key to ensuring the best possible response and outcomes when incidents do occur. These resources generally include safety equipment and security devices, such as AEDs, automatic lock systems, cameras, and wireless panic systems, but extend beyond physical measures to your employee base. The inclusion of staff certified in CPR (or registered as first responders or EMTs outside of their work role) in your emergency response protocol may help save lives. For example, in the event someone on premise suffers a heart attack, the presence of even one employee who knows CPR is a potentially life-saving resource.

Personal safety training and access to on-site resources are not only vital components of any emergency response action plan but also empower employees to take an active role in their safety—and the safety of others around them. However, reducing response times is an ongoing effort, and using the latest technology is critical to safeguarding your organization and those within.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Without current technology, the risk of losing precious time and information during an emergency is much higher. Imagine this: A new student on campus is walking alone and being followed. She calls campus security but doesn’t know her exact location. Because she is only able to provide her approximate location, it takes longer for the campus security officers to find her and intervene. However, if the security dispatcher had been able to detect her position via GPS or geofencing technology, help would have arrived much sooner.

Public safety and security software is constantly evolving. Driven by demand for innovation, programmers are addressing the unpredictability of incidents and are working to solve specific challenges to ensure the quickest possible response. One example: Many hospitality organizations are now implementing wearable employee safety devices (ESDs) to enable room attendants and service staff to send an immediate, electronic duress alert directly to security. Paired with RFID or Bluetooth location technology, these ESDs allow security personnel to react and respond quickly, so they can diffuse potentially harmful situations.

Emergency action plans should account for the resources and tools available within each facility and outline procedures for occupants to follow in various scenarios. These plans typically include sections detailing protocols for different types of emergencies, as well as directions for reporting suspicious behaviors or dangerous activities. Storing this information in an easily accessible online location provides organization-wide access to help prevent confusion and miscommunication, improve safety, and protect the people within your organization.

Organizations need to be prepared—and confident—in their safety and security strategies. As a society, we cannot halt our normal day-to-day activities for fear of the unknown; however, when an organization is responsible for the safety of their employees, customers, or students, researching and implementing the most effective modern technology is crucial to ensuring proper prevention, intervention, and response.

INCIDENT REPORTING

Emergency response is variable. There is no feasible way to account for the range of factors that influence response times. However, to ensure the best possible outcomes, organizations need to review past incidents and response protocols regularly to identify issues and understand successes. Assessing incident data also provides deeper insight into trends, enabling security teams to take a more strategic approach to prevention and ensure the highest level of safety and security.

Effectively tracking and analyzing incidents and outcomes requires the implementation of a comprehensive incident reporting platform—powerful software that offers integration with surveillance, security systems, and emergency communication pathways.

Without a fully integrated solution, piecing together the full scope of contributing factors and resulting outcomes is arduous and time consuming—perhaps even impossible. However, the right incident reporting platform will enable your organization to track and analyze incidents, evaluate resources and outcomes, and detect trends while also providing the tools needed to successfully reduce response times.

DILIGENCE

When every second counts, response needs to be as swift as possible. Provide your people with the proper training, tools, and solutions to act when necessary, as well as emergency response protocols and procedures that outline what to do, who to contact, and where to go in different scenarios.

With the implementation of a fully integrated incident reporting solution, your organization will be able to effectively track and analyze incident data, assess outcomes, and identify trends to ensure the best possible response while also enabling a more strategic approach to prevention.

Modern, innovative technology is changing the way institutions prepare for and respond to emergencies— for the better. Are you on board?