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When it comes to responding to disasters, every second counts. That's why the Canadian Red Cross recently implemented a new rapid alert system to contact delegates on its Emergency Response Unit (ERU) roster. These are the folks who would quickly mobilize to set up and run the Canadian Red Cross field hospital in a disaster. Outside of being humanitarians, delegates lead busy lives so it's critical to get in touch with them ASAP in a disaster.
IT and logistics expert Ivo Arena is taking part in the emergency response unit training this week.So how exactly does this rapid alert system work? Ivo Arena, an IT staff member at the Canadian Red Cross assigned to the International Operations team, explains that it simultaneously sends messages to all the delegates on the roster through SMS, email and voicemail. This 3-prong approach covers all the bases.
Once delegates receive the alert, they are instructed to follow the prompts in the message to provide their response and confirm their availability to deploy. Previously, the Red Cross used a patchwork of systems to deploy delegates. In fact, the Canadian Red Cross is leading the way with this use of technology to alert its roster of delegates.
According to Ivo, the system has additional functionalities, such as the ability to track responses in real time in a user-friendly spreadsheet. This allows the HR team to efficiently pull together information on the available personnel such as doctors, nurses and technicians, and other important details.
The Red Cross worked with Sentinel Systems, a company based in New Brunswick, to implement and customize the system. It has undergone testing and is ready for the call to action the next time a large-scale disaster requires the deployment of the health ERU.