Ways Organizations Can Prepare for Winter Communications

It’s hard to believe we’re nearing the end of 2020, a year we will never forget. Now is the time to sharpen communication skills to keep everyone safe and informed as the winter approaches. Mass notifications and a thought-out strategy can help. 

Many non-essential businesses and organizations remain remote or hybrid-remote, while essential facilities including healthcare and grocery stores have been open all along. Each organization will have unique challenges this winter. 

With Regroup, organizations can segment their audiences to receive the correct information at the right time. When roads close due to weather, schools have snow days, businesses need more winter-weather supplies from their vendors, mass notifications can be used by governments, municipalities and enterprises to ensure continuity. 

The bottom line is that winter months can bring risks to many areas of the country, and mass notifications help keep people safe. In addition, there is no doubt that there will continue to be changing and perhaps conflicting information regarding COVID-19 shutdowns, and communities in all climates will need to be kept abreast of the changes. 

Outside of pressing COVID-19 information, some ways mass notifications can help: 

Government

• Announce which services will be closed and which are available 
• Inform the community on emergency and non-emergency ways to get help
• Issue routine day-to-day information about utility services and official municipal business 
• Distribute photographs of at-risk residents who may need help, or video stills of crimes that have occured in the area, on any device
• Let people know if there are government rebates or special programs they can enroll in, to help during the winter
• Inform residents how they can best winterize their homes and stay safe

Business

• Allow opt-in lists of customers to let people know about closures, changing hours and openings
• Use an easy, two-tap system to keep in touch with both in-person employees and those working from home
• Announce closures due to weather, or even simple warnings about icy parking lots or problem roads on the commute
• Keep in contact with vendors, who might be disbursed due to the pandemic
• Warn in-person workers about any immediate threats to the business, including workplace violence — with mass notifications, this can be done remotely, from any device

Education

• Announce snow days or adverse travel conditions that may affect the commute
• Announce school closures for weather or illness reasons, on any device
• Keep faculty and staff well-informed of protocols during unexpected closures
• Keep the school community informed about changes in municipal rules that might impact the schools or district, using geofencing reach the right schools in the right locations
• Advise best practices to students and parents who might be learning from home
• Announce lockdown drills, lockdowns or lockouts
• With two taps, inform the entire community if there are any threats of violence to the school or on its property, including active shooter events

Healthcare

• Quickly mobilize healthcare providers and staff to fill in, in case others are quarantined
• Warn the right people, when seconds count, when there is a dangerous situation in any facility or on campus
• Keep essential workers informed about the commute, including road closures, using geofencing to reach the right people
• Inform patients and their caregivers about any changing rules about masks or other protocols with a segmented list based on location
• Distribute meaningful or helpful information during holiday months that may be lonely for patients, staff, and healthcare providers
• Let employees know where they can get help when needed

Could your organization benefit from a mass notification system? Schedule a free customized demo today.  

More resources: 

Mobile Notifications for Weather Alerts

Download: Winter Prep Guide 

Pensacola, Fla., Deals with Ice Storm

Design School Keeps Community Safe From Storm