Mass Notification Systems: A Useful Tool during Pandemic Response

Third-generation mass notification systems leverage existing IP networks to communicate rapidly to all connected devices, integrate and unify disparate existing mass notification channels, provide two-way communication from all personnel and achieve enterprise-level scalability and processes.

INTERACTION VIA SOCIAL NETWORKING

The use of IP-based alerting in third-generation notification systems is an integral part of systems interoperability and connectivity — both critical attributes necessary to ensure the widest possible reach of any message.

These systems also can leverage “IP aware media gateways,” such as Web sites (commercial, public and government), social networks (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) and other non-traditional channels. Adoption of standards such as common alerting protocol (CAP) can further aid with communication and getting the word out to the appropriate audience by incorporating information feeds from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Weather Service.

Already, health facilities nationwide are using network-centric alerting to warn of emergencies, recall personnel and notify emergency workers of where they are needed.

IRWIN ARMY HOSPITAL

Recently, Irwin Army Hospital in Fort Riley, Kan., announced the deployment of an IP-based mass notification system to protect its personnel. As a hospital located on a fort, Irwin could confront a variety of emergencies such as attacks, pandemics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria outbreaks, hazmat spills and other health and safety concerns.

The hospital's third-generation alerting system significantly increases its ability to contact personnel on and off site when an event occurs. Alerts rapidly are delivered through the IP network to all computer workstations using pop-up visual alerts, and computer speakers broadcast the message. The system also delivers alerts as SMS text messages to cell phones and can send emails to computers and mobile devices. Alerts can reach geographically dispersed people through multiple devices in a matter of minutes.

The hospital benefits from tiered operator permissions, active directory integration and multi-unit support. Emergency operators have the ability to alert all personnel in times of emergency.

WILFORD HALL MEDICAL CENTER

Wilford Hall Medical Center serves as the Air Force's largest medical facility and is a national resource, providing complete medical care to military health care beneficiaries in the south central United States as well as specialized care to patients referred from all over the world.

As a military medical facility, Wilford Hall Medical Center uses network-centric alerting system to alert personnel of pandemics and all the types of situations, whether threats posed by weather or man-made sources. Because most people in a hospital cannot be mobilized easily in response to the threat, however, early warning is critical to enable Wilford Hall to effectively respond to emergency situations.

Besides mobility challenges, Wilford Hall faces a different set of emergency scenarios. These emergencies can range from biological or chemical contamination to a large influx of patients coming into the hospital due to an accident. Additionally, the Medical Control Center serves as the eyes and ears for the medical community, and if an emergency situation arises, the group is responsible for alerting Wilford Hall personnel.

When an emergency situation arises, the Medical Control Center uses IP-based mass notification system to alert the more than 5,000 computers distributed across the five-building medical facility.

LYSTER ARMY HEALTH CLINIC

Lyster Army Health Clinic at Fort Rucker in Alabama relies on third-generation mass notification to notify personnel about threats faced by domestic military installations, whether threats posed by weather or man-made sources. The clinic provides primary care and ancillary services to a military population that consists of active duty service members, their families, a large retiree population and their family members.

Lyster leverages network technology for the rapid delivery of alerts for clinic-related operational communications. These can range from biological or chemical contaminations to communication of epidemic or pandemic information or to a staff recall with a large influx of patients due to a mass casualty incident. In addition to outward-bound notifications, Lyster can connect to external sources of alerts, such as the CDC, to automate the dissemination of local or national CDC information such as recent H1N1 updates.

Maintaining the privacy of personnel information is a requirement of all health care organizations, so it is vital that systems keep clinic personal information deployed behind the firewall and highly secure.

The deployment of emergency mass notification at Lyster represents another step in the DoD medical community's adoption of third-generation mass notification technology. Third-generation systems leverage existing IP networks to communicate rapidly to all IP-connected devices and achieve enterprise-level scalability and processes. The result is the most effective, enterprise-wide mass notification capability with the best cost to benefit ratio.

Investing in an emergency notification system architecture that leverages the existing IP infrastructure and integrates with existing sirens or public address systems promises to be the most effective way of alerting the most people in the shortest amount of time. DoD has placed its stamp of approval on network-centric alerting and health care facilities are following the DoD lead. Third-generation mass notification systems better protect people located in a health facility, but also will go a long way in helping health facility emergency managers perform their missions better.

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David Edgar serves as director of Operations — Federal Civilian for AtHoc Inc., San Mateo, Calif. He oversees AtHoc's Federal Civilian and Education sectors, including sales and business development. He spent more than 18 years in the IT industry, including 16 years at Microsoft, where he earned his MCSE.