FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 4, 2011

ECN Gains New Partner For Growth and Innovation

Private Equity Firm Invests In Emergency Communications Network

Emergency Communications Network, Inc. (ECN) of Ormond Beach, Florida has partnered with The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm. ECN provides critical, time-sensitive communications to individuals on behalf of government and education clients, while Riverside invests in exceptional companies around the world to help them grow bigger and perform better. ECN’s management team will remain in place following Riverside’s investment, and ECN will remain in Ormond Beach.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Riverside,” said ECN President David DiGiacomo. “We carefully considered our options and chose Riverside thanks to its proven track record of providing the resources and knowledge to help companies succeed. Our entire leadership team is eager to get started working with them. We are confident this partnership will mean more innovative solutions and better service for our customers.”

ECN’s clients trust the company to deliver targeted messages to citizens or pre-determined groups in specific geographic areas to communicate warnings, information about natural disasters or other vital information. ECN’s service helps save lives, find missing children, and keep citizens out of harm’s way every day. The company delivers millions of messages annually through three primary services:

• CodeRED uses patented delivery methods and proprietary mapping technology to reliably and rapidly deliver time-sensitive messages on behalf of municipal customers to local citizens.
• CodeRED WeatherWarning provides citizens highly targeted, automated notifications of severe weather events.
• CodeED, ECN’s education platform, allows school administrators to deliver personalized messages anywhere at any time to disseminate information quickly and easily to parents, students, and teachers.

“We expect to continue expanding our services while adding customers in new geographies and segments,” said DiGiacomo. “We have a very strong foundation in our exceptional employees, loyal customers, and consistent management team.”

In an increasingly interconnected world, ECN fills a unique void by providing its customers with the ability to communicate real-time, mass messages on a targeted basis to their constituents across any type of message delivery. Whether it is a message to alert local residents of an approaching storm, missing child, utility outage or school closure, ECN’s alerts allow for information to be quickly, accurately and reliably delivered, which improves event outcomes and citizen satisfaction. ECN’s service allows customers to quickly implement and activate its solution without any equipment costs.

Riverside plans to support ECN by investing in continuous product improvement, adding sales resources, strengthening the company’s infrastructure and operations, and developing new products and services.  Riverside will also seek add-on acquisitions that complement ECN by adding customers, products, services, or new technologies.

Emergency Communications Network (http://www.ecnetwork.com/)

Emergency Communications Network is an Ormond Beach, Florida company that delivers critical safety, weather, and organizational information through an advanced “outbound 911” system that delivers key messages to citizens via telephone. ECN provides its cost-effective solutions to more than 1,000 customers in 49 states that include municipalities, county and state governments, first responders, public utilities, power plants and school districts.

Hurricane Irene pummeled the East Coast leaving a path of death and destruction that has made it the third-deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. since 1980, behind only Hurricanes Floyd and Katrina. After a major disaster it’s always interesting to see how it stacked up to previous events to help us better understand the impact of what we experienced firsthand or witnessed through television, newspapers and the Internet. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hurricane Irene was the first to hit the United States since Hurricane Ike struck Texas in September 2008 and it was the first to threaten the New York City area since Hurricane Gloria in September 1985. And although there have been many stories written about how the media over-reported Irene, government officials across the affected areas would quickly disagree.

In addition to the Hurricane which arrived mid-week, the earthquake that rocked the East Coast on Tuesday kicked off a busy week for the CodeRED system which was used by Mayors, Police Chiefs and Emergency Managers in hundreds of communities related to these weather events. The system was activated in states as far north as Maine and as far west as Ohio. With hundreds of jobs running simultaneously on the system, hundreds of thousands of citizens were provided with valuable information by their local government. By looking at emergency notification usage during Hurricane Irene and following the earthquake, it’s obvious that keeping citizens safe and informed was of paramount importance in our client communities.

Here’s a quick review of important uses of a mass notification system following a natural disaster.

Life Safety Information: Often injuries and deaths occur after storms due to carelessness and lack of public education and awareness. Safety messages should be disseminated to the public periodically warning of the dangers that they will be facing and how to safely go about cleaning up their property and neighborhood. Carbon monoxide poisoning, chainsaw accidents, electrocutions and careless use of matches and candles are major contributors to the steep rise in injuries and deaths following a weather event. The use of emergency notification during this time is paramount.

Damage Assessment Gathering: Utilizing mass notification to ask the public to report areas throughout the region that received destruction will assist in determining where Damage Assessment Teams need to survey. It should also capture human needs segments that require immediate attention.

Recovery and Re-Entry Information: Recovery and re-entry plans will depend on the amount of devastation that impacted the area. Informing the public what the plan is for the community will be a work in progress daily. Mass notification can assist in delivering these messages directly to citizens.

Update Victim Services Information: Keep citizens updated with pertinent disaster assistance information such as shelter facilities, mass feeding locations, family assistance locations, POD locations, etc.

Public Assistance Information: Should the jurisdiction receive a Federal Disaster Declaration which provides FEMA and SBA assistance to citizens, the Emergency Manager will need to employ every means of public notification available to disseminate this information. Citizens will require information from the EOC advising them of Disaster Assistance locations, hours of service, what services are available to them and how they can receive more detailed information.

A history making earthquake on the East Coast rattled people and property from North Carolina to Boston. The aftermath of this rare quake showcased the power of social media during an emergency.

In mass, citizens took to Twitter to share their earthquake experiences or got in touch with loved ones and friends. It’s been reported that within a minute of the first shock, there were more than 40,000 earthquake-related Tweets. After the earthquake, a blogger described this massive use of Twitter as “TwearthQuake”.

Based on the response and stats, it’s obvious that citizens took to Twitter during the quake, but what about the use of Twitter from an Emergency Manager’s perspective? Below you’ll find insights from three Social Media for Emergency Management thought leaders.

“Yesterday showcased a benchmark that society is on-board on how indispensable social media is in augmenting their communications in disaster. In my own social networks I saw numerous welfare checks and was impressed by how fast FEMA’s blog was updated with director Craig Fugate asking people to employ social media to relieve stress on emergency service providers. Thankfully, the earthquake was minor in damage and no deaths have been reported. As the twitter trend refocuses on Hurricane Irene, it is time for governments to carry the preparedness message torch while incidents are fresh in society’s mind. It is also a time to prove to any doubters that the correct use of social media can do more good to citizens than harm to the agencies using them.”

Hal Grieb (@Hal_Grieb on Twitter)
Implementation Manager at Previstar
2011 Statesman Texas Social Media Award Winner for Government use in Social Media
Plano, TX

“I follow Twitter accounts on my phone to have immediate visibility to breaking events whether or not I’m at my computer. That was the case on Tuesday as I was away from the office when the earthquake hit. One of my Virtual Operations Support Team members was experiencing the quake on Long Island. After getting to safety she tweeted me and others with her status and her needs. A significant portion of my Twitter timeline consisted of the hashtags #RUOK and #IMOK. Slowly but surely people checked in, reported status and checked on others. Social media tools and relationships once again proved very powerful in a crisis event. There is no question social media use in emergencies has matured and become mainstream and people of all walks of life are working to take it to another level. Think about it. Only a few months ago we were discussing whether or not social media should be used in emergency management. Time flies.”

Jeff Phillips  (@LosRanchosEM on Twitter)
Emergency Management Coordinator
Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM

“Twitter’s use during the earthquake confirmed that it’s a great situational awareness tool to get a sense of what’s happening within the community. After this and other recent events, Emergency Managers should take the use of Twitter seriously because it is a fast way to share information with large networks of people. Twitter, and social media, is the glimpse into our future of Next Generation 9-1-1.  Being familiar with these emerging platforms will give emergency management and public safety communication agencies a leg up in navigating the technology changes which are sure to be a part of our emergency communications in the future.”

Cheryl Bledsoe (@CherylBle on Twitter)
Division Manager, Emergency Management
Vancouver, WA

Emergency Communications Network understands the importance of using social media during emergencies which is why with a simple click of the mouse, our CodeRED customers can post Twitter and Facebook updates. Although Twitter should never be considered as your stand-alone emergency notification system, it should be utilized as an additional tool in your mass notification tool box.

This article appeared on LIPolitics.com Thursday, August 18, 2011.

Parents Received Alert and were Reunited with Child

In photo below, Suffolk County, New York Executive Steve Levy and Police Commissioner Richard Dormer announce the successful reunion between a wandering 2-year-old boy and his parents through the use of the county’s CodeRED emergency notification system.

 “The diligent efforts of our police department and the innovative use of the county’s CodeRED state-of-the-art system reunited two parents with their missing child in a matter of hours,” said Levy, noting that the youngster had apparently made his own way out of the family’s front door in the early-morning hours. “While this story had a happy ending for all involved, let it serve as a cautionary tale for all parents with infants or toddlers to child proof doors and windows, as well as hazards that are within reach.”

According to Dormer, a passing motorist located the child walking in the area of Townline and Dorchester roads in Smithtown at 1:38 a.m. The motorist took the child into safety and contacted the police department, which took the youngster into care at the Fourth Precinct facility. After a police canvass of the area was unable to locate the child’s parents, an emergency telephone notification was made to about 1,200 homes within a half-mile radius, using CodeRED.

Listen to actual CodeRED message by “clicking” this link.

Within minutes of the CodeRED alert being issued, a family member of the child had received one of the emergency alert calls and contacted police, who then reunited the parents with their child.

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This story was also covered by other media outlets including CBS New York. Read and hear their account of this family reunion by clicking here.

Yet another deadly heat wave has broiled more than 150 million Americans in 30 states. This latest onslaught of high temperatures has killed at least 24 people. It became so hot in places like New Jersey that a bear came out of the woods to take a dip in a backyard swimming pool. In our previous post, As Temperatures Rise, New Uses Emerge for Notification System, we detailed several ways that outbound notification can be used while trying to beat the heat. Below you’ll find examples of how emergency notification was used to keep citizens informed during another unusual round of oppressive heat.

As the heat index soared across the country, so did the demand for power. In Butler County, IA 1100 citizens were without power for a total of four hours. Butler County Emergency Management Director, Mitch Nordmeyer, knew that is was extremely important to reach his community with life saving information. “At 6pm we had a heat index of 114 degrees and hundreds of citizens wondering why they were without power. CodeRED helped us communicate easily and quickly with everyone in 15 to 30 seconds,” said Nordmeyer. “Almost immediately we heard back from people who received the CodeRED message. They thanked us for keeping them informed. One citizen told us that the information we shared in CodeRED messages helped them to stop worrying during the outage,” Nordmeyer continued. Click on the link below to hear one of Butler County’s CodeRED messages.

Click here to listen to a message from Butler County Emergency Management

The historic heat in Johnson Country, IA and the unique use of outbound notification by their Emergency Management Agency captured the attention of the Associated Press. Steve Spenler, Director of Johnson Country Ambulance Service realized the value of emergency notification. “I thought it was great that the EMA used CodeRED. Quickly reaching a large number of people with the same, consistent safety message is invaluable. We haven’t seen a heat emergency like this in five years,” Spenler said.

You can listen to Johnson County EMA’s CodeRED message at link below. In addition to safety tips, the message stressed checking on anyone who may be struggling during high temperatures. Johnson County EMA Planning Officer B.J. Dvorak emphasized the importance of using CodeRED. “The calls helped residents to take the heat emergency seriously. It also reminded them about the importance of helping others on their street or neighborhood,” said Dvorak.

Click here to listen to a message from Johnson County Emergency Management

People in the State of Illinois remember the deadly results of hot weather. After a 1995 heat wave that killed more than 700 people, the Chicago area created a heat response plan that includes more cooling centers and well-being checks to make sure those with special needs are okay during a heat emergency. The Village of McCook, IL is a small community some 22 minutes from Chicago. As they have in previous heat emergencies, they used CodeRED to alert citizens about the availability of cooling centers. When Sergeant Mark Elslager was asked why they used CodeRED he said, “Quite honestly, we need to do everything possible to keep our citizens informed. CodeRED helps us to respond to the needs of our community during an emergency.” You can hear their recent CodeRED message at link below.

Click here to listen to a message from Village Of McCook

Much of the original Blog post below was posted in August 2010. Less than one year later, a deadly heat wave arrived early in large parts of the nation from Louisiana to New York. In recent days, heat has been blamed for the deaths of five people in Tennessee, Maryland and Wisconsin. This pre-summer heat wave has prompted many jurisdictions to open cooling centers and provide information to citizens about protective action. This hot weather preview presents the perfect opportunity to think about how your mass notification system can be used to inform first responders, public officials and citizens about the dangers at hand.

Contacting Citizens – personal preparedness, cooling centers, utility usage

Using your mass notification system to remind citizens about personal preparedness is a great way to reach out to a community in crisis. You can stress the importance of staying hydrated, limiting outdoor or strenuous activities and spending time in air-conditioned places like stores, libraries, and public buildings. Invite residents to check on friends, family, and neighbors. Remind citizens to stay informed by tuning into local media stations, newspapers, and websites for weather updates. For an example of this type of usage in action, listen to the clip below from the City of Calumet, IL voiced by Police Chief Gilmore.

Police Chief Gilmore

As things get worse, and if you need to open cooling centers, a mass notification system can help with the daunting task of letting citizens know it is available – where it’s located, transportation options, hours of operation and what services will be provided.

If it becomes necessary to ask citizens to voluntarily decrease water usage, mass notification is a way to reach a large audience quickly and efficiently. Use your system sensibly and methodically to keep citizens informed.

Internal Communications – cooling center openings, first responders, public officials

In addition to reaching large populations quickly, mass notification systems may be used to contact internal resources too. For example, before cooling centers are opened to the public, their set-up needs to be coordinated. Finding out who is available and activating the teams can be made easier with a notification system. Listen to the clip below to hear how McCook, IL used mass notification and its polling functionality to confirm cooling center availability.

McCook, IL

Inform emergency responders and 911 operators that your heat plan has been activated and that they should expect an increase in the number of calls from citizens about heat related issues. Take this opportunity to remind first responders to take care of themselves so that they can effectively take care of others too.

City Managers, the Mayor and other public officials would benefit from being informed through mass notification during heat emergencies. Along with being up to date on your emergency plan, they may wish to visit cooling shelter locations personally to thank staff and to visit with citizens.

During last summer’s massive heat wave, Von Pinnon, editor of Fargo North Dakota’s The Forum wrote this: This summer’s excessive severe weather – some of it deadly – has really awakened us to a much bigger issue that has more to do with how we live today. After all, dangerous and deadly weather is as old as weather itself. But how we learn about it before it potentially harms us largely depends on how we communicate, and how we communicate is changing about as fast as the weather around here.

June 1st through November 30th each year represents hurricane season and the Atlantic basin is expected to see above-normal activity this year, according to the seasonal outlook issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. Unlike most other severe weather events, hurricanes provide advance notice and time to prepare. The window leading up to a hurricane making landfall provides an incredible opportunity for the Emergency Manager to capitalize on the undivided attention of the general public. A successful Emergency Manager may find himself taking advantage of this time to deliver an aggressive public education and awareness campaign that will save lives and protect property when citizens are especially receptive. Below you’ll find three methods an Emergency Management Agency can employ, pre-storm, to communicate with citizens.

Mass Notification System Awareness and Sign Ups

Before the hurricane, have a mass notification system in place and take an opportunity to encourage residents to sign up for emergency alerts. Every Emergency Management Agency should have an effective, dependable and easy to use mass notification system. Your system should have the capability of delivering emergency messages from the EOC to citizens and responders via traditional landline telephone, mobile phone, text message and email. This communication tool should be used to provide life safety messages as well as general information before and after an incident, event or disaster. Messages delivered could include evacuation details, shelter locations, information for your special needs population, differences between watches and warnings, protective actions, specific storm or event updates, basic preparedness tips and where to obtain additional information.

Automated Weather Alerts

When severe weather warnings are posted by the National Weather Service (NWS), time is of the essence. Before the hurricane, research and acquire an early warning telephone system that will deliver weather warnings within moments of being issued by the NWS. The system should deliver targeted notifications to residents’ phones that are in the path of severe weather. With hurricanes and tropical storms the probability of multiple tornadoes forming in any one jurisdiction is very high; your system should automatically send notifications, without any effort from your staff, to give residents the needed time to prepare.

Mass Notification to Provide Additional Information 

In some jurisdictions outdoor warning devices, such as sirens and public address systems, are utilized to warn citizens. Either notification tool requires an extensive public education and awareness program to ensure everyone knows what the sirens are for and how they will be used. During severe weather season it’s not unusual to see news stories recounting citizen confusion about why outdoor warning devices are being used, or the inability for the devices to be heard. Before, during and after the hurricane, your mass notification system can be used to build awareness and educate citizens about your outdoor warning devices. And in cases when outdoor warning devices cannot be heard or may have malfunctioned, mass notification messages from your agency may be the most effective way to communicate with and protect your citizens.

By using a variety of techniques, your mass notification system will be one of the most valuable tools you have to deliver information in advance of a storm’s arrival. And citizens will appreciate that your Emergency Management Agency took the initiative to inform and prepare them for the impending storm.

“Preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy.” — Max Mayfield, Director of the National Hurricane Center

Death Toll Would Have Been Higher

In the small community of Vilonia, Arkansas severe weather destroyed dozens of homes and killed two people. Faulkner County Sheriff Karl Byrd believes that the death toll would have been much worse without CodeRED Weather Warning. “With a storm of this magnitude, I can tell you that lives were saved due to CodeRED Weather Warning. Before this massive storm, citizens were informed and were able to get themselves and their families to a safe place,” said Byrd

“Unlike the sirens that blared continuously for over three hours the other night, CodeRED Weather Warning only notifies citizens if they are in potential danger with specific instructions and information. This helps avoid panic and confusion,” said Byrd.

Sheriff Byrd continued, “My entire staff and their families are signed up for this service due to its ability to accurately pinpoint areas that will be impacted by the storm. Instead of a weather radio, I make sure my phone is next to the bed when I go to sleep at night. I know that when my phone rings and wakes me up it means that CodeRED Weather Warning is anticipating the path of severe weather.”

Lives Were Saved

Three tornadoes in Dade County, Georgia wiped out most major apartment complexes. County Executive Ted Rumley confirmed that 80% of the apartment occupants were registered to receive CodeRED Weather Warning alerts. In the Dade County Sentinel Rumley said that many lives were saved due to the 30 minute notice people received through CodeRED Weather Warning before tornadoes destroyed the area. “This has been the best business investment ever when it comes to saving lives in our county,” said Rumley.

Many Were Able To Seek Shelter

The same day that the Dahlonega Nugget newspaper introduced CodeRED Weather Warning to area citizens, a weather system responsible for hundreds of deaths across the South hit Lumpkin County, Georgia. After the storm, newspaper reporters heard from many local residents that CodeRED Weather Warning gave them enough time to seek shelter for themselves and their families. In a recent editorial, the newspaper recognized CodeRED Weather Warning as a wise investment for the safety of citizens and their families.

Mom and Baby Kept Safe

Patty Sullivan, from the Rusk County Emergency Operations Center shared how CodeRED Weather Warning made a difference in the lives of a young family. As the skies darkened in Tatum, Texas an uneasy wife watched her husband leave for work. Literally seconds later, she received a CodeRED Weather Warning call on her phone. After getting the alert, she grabbed her newborn baby and headed to the safe room in their home. Moments after settling in, she heard shingles being ripped from her roof and debris hitting her home. Unlike the barn and house that were destroyed just down the road, her home withstood the storm. “After the storm, this sweet young mother called to say how thankful she was for CodeRED Weather Warning. She felt that signing up was one of the best things she could have done to keep her baby safe,” said Sullivan.

According to National Weather Service records, for a single week in mid-April 2011, at least 97 tornadoes tore a path of death and destruction. These twisters resulted in a reported 45 deaths and impacted a total of 12 states including Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. In North Carolina, the storms destroyed more than 130 homes and damaged more than 700.

Time is of the essence when storms develop into tornadoes. When these severe weather incidents are on the horizon, or after they’ve weaved through your area, you want to be prepared to quickly provide information to citizens.

Severe Weather Notification Before the Storm

No emergency management program should be without an automated notification system which recognizes your location and that of the inbound weather. CodeRED Weather Warning’s innovative technology can alert citizens and help them prepare to protect themselves and their property.

An automated severe weather monitoring system will prove to be an invaluable communications tool and will give public safety and elected officials greater peace of mind knowing that citizens will receive warnings rapidly and without the need for human intervention.

Recently, Aiken County, South Carolina Emergency Management Coordinator, David Ruth, came face to face with the importance of severe weather notification. Ruth’s son was awakened by a severe weather alert delivered to his phone just minutes before a storm knocked over a tree and damaged the family’s home. “Since safety of the citizens is my job, I encourage everyone to sign up for CodeRED Weather Warning alerts,” said Ruth.

Mass Notification After the Tornado

Life Safety Information: Often injuries and deaths occur after tornadoes due to carelessness and lack of public education and awareness. Safety messages should be disseminated to the public periodically warning of the dangers that they will be facing and how to safely go about cleaning up their property and neighborhood. Carbon monoxide poisoning, chainsaw accidents, electrocutions and careless use of matches and candles are major contributors to the steep rise in injuries and deaths following a tornado event. The use of emergency notification during this time is paramount.

Damage Assessment Gathering: Utilizing mass notification to ask the public to report areas throughout the region that received destruction will assist in determining where Damage Assessment Teams need to survey. It should also capture human needs segments that require immediate attention.

Recovery and Re-Entry Information: Recovery and re-entry plans will depend on the amount of devastation that impacted the area. Informing the public what the plan is for the community will be a work in progress daily. Mass notification can assist in delivering these messages directly to citizens.

Update Victim Services Information: Keep citizens updated with pertinent disaster assistance information such as shelter facilities, mass feeding locations, family assistance locations, POD locations, etc.

Public Assistance Information: Should the jurisdiction receive a Federal Disaster Declaration which provides FEMA and SBA assistance to citizens, the Emergency Manager will need to employ every means of public notification available to disseminate this information. Citizens will require information from the EOC advising them of Disaster Assistance locations, hours of service, what services are available to them and how they can receive more detailed information.

Automated severe weather alerts delivered prior to the storm and informational messages delivered after the tornado will be remembered by citizens as a proactive approach to emergency planning and recovery.

Wildfires are a natural and growing hazard in many regions of the United States. Per a recent USA Today article, the Texas Forest Service has already suppressed 605 fires burning 70,000 acres. Compare that with 149 fires burning 5,221 acres during the same time period early last year. Wildfires pose a threat to life and property, particularly in areas of urban interface. Through aggressive public education and awareness programs at the State and Local levels, lives and billions of dollars in property loss can be saved annually. Unfortunately the most effective time to capture the attention of citizens is when a hazard or disaster is looming, and time may not be on your side.

When a community is threatened by a wildfire there are many avenues available to disseminate information to citizens in harm’s way. In addition to television and radio, the use of route alerting, outdoor warning systems and social media are all effective, however, the most efficient method to deliver geographically relevant information is through the utilization of your mass notification system.

Response Phase

During the response phase, your mass notification system can be used to provide up-to-date information about the expected path of the fire, communities that could be affected by the fire, precautionary measures to minimize impact on human life and property, pre-evacuation instructions, as well as the actual evacuation notice, once issued. You can also provide citizens with shelter locations and details on how to obtain information from emergency response once they have been evacuated.

An outbound notification system has the ability to geographically reach citizens in a way that mass communication devices cannot. Given the high speed with which wildfires travel, and the rapid changes in direction, the ability to target an area and deliver timely instructions is critical. Most citizens will be starving for information at this time and the fact that you are reaching out to them with periodic and timely updates will strengthen your credibility and add to citizen confidence.

Recovery Phase

Often a mass notification system is thought of as a tool for emergency alerts. Don’t forget that your mass notification system can also provide you with many benefits during the recovery phase. The disaster doesn’t end when the fire goes out or the risk is lessened, it is not declared over until the community has been restored to its previous state. This often takes months, even years to accomplish. The better you communicate with residents during this time, the quicker the community can recover. Utilize your mass notification system to disseminate information such as health and safety messages, the re-entry process, long-term sheltering, disaster assistance programs, disaster recovery center locations, points of distribution, locations for reporting damages, Town Hall meetings or any other pertinent updates.

Your mass notification system won’t put out wildfires, but it will present much needed updates to information starved citizens. When used in response to wildfires, a mass notification system can prove to be an invaluable resource to pull from your Emergency Management toolkit.