We're barely a week into winter and already snow and ice storms and below zero temperatures have invaded the Midwest and caused havoc in people's lives. Not only does this type of weather make it hard to get around, but it can also affect people's safety and well-being.
When ice knocks out power, it takes with it the ability to stay warm and prepare a hot meal, which is why many communities rev up generators and open shelters at churches or schools to give people a place to stay until electricity can be restored. Residents of small, rural communities often go the longest without power because of the distance between communities and the difficulty of travel.
Without electricity, it's unlikely that television news stations will be effective reaching those who need to know the shelter locations. Cell phones, on the other hand, are a great way to communicate in these situations. Communities that have a broadcast communication system in place can quickly send text and voice messages to cell phones to announce the opening of shelters and let people know how best to travel. People can easily find out the latest updates, and community officials can reduce the number of person-to-person contacts they must make to help inform residents of their options. This frees up valuable resources that can definitely be used in other capacities in unpredictable weather situations.
Communities can learn about the benefits of broadcast voice and text messaging services by visiting our Web site - http://www.communicationsmadeeasy.com/. We specialize in serving small, rural communities and have designed our services to fit their budgets.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Emergency Text Messages Calm Fears and Speculation
When sirens sound and emergency equipment responds to a particular neighborhood or school campus, people will be inclined to think the worst. Onlookers may try to get closer to the center of the commotion, putting themselves in danger, and rumors can spread like wildfire, even without confirmation.
Emergency text messages, sent quickly and with basic information, can calm fears and reassure neighbors that the situation is being handled.
This situation happened just last week at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Students were worried about their safety by the sirens and flashing lights on campus, but a text message sent a short time later revealed that the emergency was a gas leak. And while potentially dangerous, students knew their personal safety could be secured simply by evacuating the designated area and staying away from the scene.
It was a serious situation, but not quite of the magnitude that some were fearing. The broadcast text message was an efficient way to send accurate and timely information to those who might have panicked otherwise. A great example of the benefits of using a broadcast messaging service like CME.
For more on the Ball State story, click here.
Emergency text messages, sent quickly and with basic information, can calm fears and reassure neighbors that the situation is being handled.
This situation happened just last week at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Students were worried about their safety by the sirens and flashing lights on campus, but a text message sent a short time later revealed that the emergency was a gas leak. And while potentially dangerous, students knew their personal safety could be secured simply by evacuating the designated area and staying away from the scene.
It was a serious situation, but not quite of the magnitude that some were fearing. The broadcast text message was an efficient way to send accurate and timely information to those who might have panicked otherwise. A great example of the benefits of using a broadcast messaging service like CME.
For more on the Ball State story, click here.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Notify Clients of Business Closings
I've mentioned before how help CME can be when businesses must notify employees of weather or other situations that require businesses to close early or adjust employees' schedules. CME can also help those businesses notify their customers and clients of these situations. Doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants, hair stylists, and others who do business by appointment will find a broadcast messaging system especially valuable.
When your business has to close early due to deteriorating weather and road conditions, you hardly want to delay an employee's leaving by asking them to phone every client/patient to cancel appointments. Individual phone calls to each client or patient would take time, but activating CME's broadcast messaging system would take just minutes. You could not only notify those with standing appointments of the closing, but you could chose to notify your entire contact list so your clients wouldn't risk venturing out in bad weather to drop in unannounced only to find your business closed.
Your clients/patients will certainly appreciate being notified in a timely manner, and your employees will appreciate the ease and efficiency of sending messages without having to stay and risk the weather or road conditions deteriorating even more. Just another way CME can help you improve customer service and help ensure the safety of your clients and employees as well.
When your business has to close early due to deteriorating weather and road conditions, you hardly want to delay an employee's leaving by asking them to phone every client/patient to cancel appointments. Individual phone calls to each client or patient would take time, but activating CME's broadcast messaging system would take just minutes. You could not only notify those with standing appointments of the closing, but you could chose to notify your entire contact list so your clients wouldn't risk venturing out in bad weather to drop in unannounced only to find your business closed.
Your clients/patients will certainly appreciate being notified in a timely manner, and your employees will appreciate the ease and efficiency of sending messages without having to stay and risk the weather or road conditions deteriorating even more. Just another way CME can help you improve customer service and help ensure the safety of your clients and employees as well.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Texting Amber Alerts
If your child was abducted, wouldn't you want EVERYONE in your community to immediately know who and what to look for? AMBER Alerts were designed specifically for this purpose and have been extremely valuable when information needs to be distributed quickly in these situations. According to the U.S Department of Justice, the AMBER Alert™ Program, "is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies, and the wireless industry, to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and the safe recovery of the child."
Metropolitan cities often have the capability of displaying AMBER Alert messages on LED message boards that hang over Interstate highways or other digital-type billboard displays. But smaller towns and rural areas don't always have access to these tools. The only way to instantly send an AMBER Alert in these areas is through text message or automated calls to cells phones. Only through these methods will the message reach those who are already out on the roads, where they could possibly spot a particular vehicle, license plate, or suspicious situation.
This is yet another instance where local governments and law enforcement could use CME's broadcast communication system with life-saving results. Our instant messaging capabilities activate 4 different methods of communication and reach people wherever they happened to be - shopping malls, fast food restaurants, gas stations, and streets and highways. By arming citizens with detailed information, an abducted child could be recovered faster with the help of text messaging and automated phone messages.
Metropolitan cities often have the capability of displaying AMBER Alert messages on LED message boards that hang over Interstate highways or other digital-type billboard displays. But smaller towns and rural areas don't always have access to these tools. The only way to instantly send an AMBER Alert in these areas is through text message or automated calls to cells phones. Only through these methods will the message reach those who are already out on the roads, where they could possibly spot a particular vehicle, license plate, or suspicious situation.
This is yet another instance where local governments and law enforcement could use CME's broadcast communication system with life-saving results. Our instant messaging capabilities activate 4 different methods of communication and reach people wherever they happened to be - shopping malls, fast food restaurants, gas stations, and streets and highways. By arming citizens with detailed information, an abducted child could be recovered faster with the help of text messaging and automated phone messages.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
COMMUNICATIONS MADE EASY NAMED AS FINALIST IN BUSINESS.COM WHAT WORKS FOR BUSINESS CONTEST!!
Communications Made Easy is one of five contest finalists vying for the best solution to a Technology business challenge and a grand prize of $10,000.
To vote for Communications Made Easy simply click on the image What Works For Business to the left and then click on the technology category or click here.
Rochester, Illinois, Dec. 10, 2008 — Communications Made Easy, a 4-1 broadcast communication service, was named as one of the finalists in the Business.com What Works for Business Contest which aims to identify the best solutions to business challenges. CME’s entry was selected as one of the best in the Technology category from hundreds of contest entries by a panel of business expert contest judges.
Winners for each of the 10 contest categories, and the overall contest winner, will be chosen by popular vote at The What Works for Business Contest Voting page from Wednesday, Dec. 10 through Friday, Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. Pacific. The final contest results will be announced on Monday, Jan. 12 with each category winner receiving $2,000 and the overall contest winner receiving $10,000.
“We are very excited to have made the final cut for this contest,” said co-owner Michelle Tjelmeland. “We’ve worked hard to design our own software to bring rural communities the capability of sending emergency messages through text messages, e-mail, recorded phone messages, and Web site postings. It’s great to be included as one the top 5 technology solutions.”
Co-owner Mark Roberts thanked the judges for selecting their story as one of the finalists. “We appreciate the support from Business.com’s editorial team, judging panel, and all those who read our story and vote. You’ve given us a fantastic opportunity to get some nationwide exposure for CME.”
Sponsored by Business.com, the leading business search engine, directory and pay-per-click advertising network, the What Works for Business Contest is open to all North American businesses and is designed to help shift business focus from what’s wrong with the economy to what small businesses can actually do to survive and thrive in 2009. Eligible participants submitted a brief description of a business challenge they faced and how they solved it in one of 10 key business categories - Money, Technology, Sales & Marketing, Web, Office Management, Operations, People, Business Location, Startup, and Management – between Oct. 22 and Dec. 3. These entries were reviewed by Business.com’s editorial team and then rated by a panel of action-oriented business leaders to determine the finalists.
“The What Works for Business Contest showcases the ingenuity of small business owners, managers and startup entrepreneurs while creating a resource for businesses seeking real answers,” says Daniel Kehrer, Editor of Business.com and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Journalist of the Year for the Los Angeles region.
To vote or see a complete description of contest rules, visit http://whatworks.business.com/
###
About Communications Made Easy
Communications Made EasyTM is an affordable communication tool that broadcasts any message in a matter of seconds to a mass mailing list, using a proprietary 4-in-1 system. This innovative and user-friendly service makes it easy to use one access point to send messages simultaneously, via the Web, e-mail, text message, and phone. CME offers monthly messaging subscriptions, premium service add-ons that enable customers to enhance their package as needed, concierge service to ensure customer messages are dispatched immediately in times of crisis, and a reseller program to allow organizations to brand and sell the product as their own. Communications Made EasyTM is a subsidiary of The Easy Life, LLC, headquartered in Rochester, IL.
Communications Made Easy Media Contact:
Michelle Tjelmeland
Co-owner
800.605.0082
info@communicationsmadeeasy.comBusiness.com Media Contact:
Dianne Molina
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
Business.com
310.586.4150
dmolina@business.com
Monday, December 8, 2008
Texting In Emergencies
Texting is the communication tool of the future. We already know how popular it is with teens and young adults, and as they get older, they will certainly continue to use text messaging as their communication tool of choice. And you can bet that, as current and future entrepreneurs, they will figure out how to use this technology to efficiently communicate in every area of life.
Imagine having the capability to text an emergency message to the nearest 911 center. This could be especially helpful in emergency situations where the "caller" cannot talk, whether due to injury or even a hostage or kidnapping situation. There are people working out this technology right now. One example is Houston, Texas.
In an on-line article at www.khou.com, officials in Harris County discuss their plans for this capability. "'We're working to make sure you can call with any kind of phone device in the very near future,' said Sonya Clauson, Greater Harris County 911 Emergency Network....It's still a few years away, but the funding is now in place to create a system that will allow you to send an emergency text message to the closest 911 center."
Houston's mayor, Bill White, is also quoted as saying, "We'll be able to grow and meet the needs of a growing community without radio congestion."
This is exactly why communities, emergency management agencies, and first responders, especially in rural areas, should start integrating text messaging into their emergency response protocols. They can save time, reach more people, and free up radio frequencies for those responders who really need those channels open.
CME is up for the challenge of finding ways text messaging can benefit you. We can help you design your emergency communication response to include text messaging. It's time to embrace this technology because it's not going away anytime soon!
Imagine having the capability to text an emergency message to the nearest 911 center. This could be especially helpful in emergency situations where the "caller" cannot talk, whether due to injury or even a hostage or kidnapping situation. There are people working out this technology right now. One example is Houston, Texas.
In an on-line article at www.khou.com, officials in Harris County discuss their plans for this capability. "'We're working to make sure you can call with any kind of phone device in the very near future,' said Sonya Clauson, Greater Harris County 911 Emergency Network....It's still a few years away, but the funding is now in place to create a system that will allow you to send an emergency text message to the closest 911 center."
Houston's mayor, Bill White, is also quoted as saying, "We'll be able to grow and meet the needs of a growing community without radio congestion."
This is exactly why communities, emergency management agencies, and first responders, especially in rural areas, should start integrating text messaging into their emergency response protocols. They can save time, reach more people, and free up radio frequencies for those responders who really need those channels open.
CME is up for the challenge of finding ways text messaging can benefit you. We can help you design your emergency communication response to include text messaging. It's time to embrace this technology because it's not going away anytime soon!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
CME Can Keep Employees Informed of Weather Situations
We often think of schools closing when bad winter weather hits, but there are a lot of businesses and organizations that close as well. A broadcast communication system for businesses can work much the same way as it does for school districts in these situations, and can be just as valuable. Using Communications Made Easy in a business setting is useful if you have to contact several employees at once. Here are a few examples:
In rural areas, many employees travel 30 - 45 miles, or even more, to work every day. A snow storm can easily leave 2 or 3 inches in one area while dumping 5 or 6 inches just 30 miles down the road. So, commutes that didn't receive much snow might not even think to call ahead about road conditions. In this situation, a broadcast message to all employees can warn them of dangerous road conditions or announce that a business will be closed.
Or perhaps the electricity has gone out and a business has decided to close until it is restored. A broadcast message can easily inform employees, without the need of the Internet. Simply call our 24-hour concierge desk and have our customer service representatives send a message for you.
On the other hand, maybe your business requires extra personnel in bad weather. If you run a snow removal business or a power company , you'll need everyone available to respond. With CME, you can quickly request early arrivals or dispatch certain employees to branch locations or satellite offices.
In these situations, it's not very efficient to rely on calling trees or have one person try to make contact with every employee. You can save a lot of time and send notifications much quicker with CME.
In rural areas, many employees travel 30 - 45 miles, or even more, to work every day. A snow storm can easily leave 2 or 3 inches in one area while dumping 5 or 6 inches just 30 miles down the road. So, commutes that didn't receive much snow might not even think to call ahead about road conditions. In this situation, a broadcast message to all employees can warn them of dangerous road conditions or announce that a business will be closed.
Or perhaps the electricity has gone out and a business has decided to close until it is restored. A broadcast message can easily inform employees, without the need of the Internet. Simply call our 24-hour concierge desk and have our customer service representatives send a message for you.
On the other hand, maybe your business requires extra personnel in bad weather. If you run a snow removal business or a power company , you'll need everyone available to respond. With CME, you can quickly request early arrivals or dispatch certain employees to branch locations or satellite offices.
In these situations, it's not very efficient to rely on calling trees or have one person try to make contact with every employee. You can save a lot of time and send notifications much quicker with CME.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
