Emergency Help system

[SpuffMonkey]

Hi

Not really sure where to ask this - but I've been requested to look around for a system that can do the following:

In a classroom or reception area, if there is an emergency of some kind - to press a (on screen) button or type in a code, so that an emergency help request is generated and is sent to various members of staff, so they can give assistance at the site of the emergency.

Any one know of a computer based system that can do something like that - I guess an easy to use front end to some sort of SMS texting service would be the thing.

Cheers

[plexer]

I think any system of this kind needs some serious thought, who will respond to these emergencies?

Do they always have a mobile phone switched on with signal?

How do you handle it if one of those people is away say on a course they don't want to receive an emergency call when they are not on site.

Is reception always manned? telephones or ip telephones so you have confirmation someone is attending rather than just sending out a message and hoping.

Ben

[bossman]

@SpuffMonkey:

We had in place exactly this for PLO help button for staff to click which would result in certain staff recieving an e-mail, only problem with this is as Plexer states you need a dedicated team who are alway's available and this is why it alway's falls down as the demand far outstrips the supply.

[localzuk]

I have almost exactly this kind of system in place on my cashless catering system. The tills have a button that is always on top in the top right corner of the screen. When pressed, it sends an email to me and I receive it on my phone (as I get email on that).

It is currently all hard-coded into the software, but I will, at some point, make the settings be stored elsewhere.

[SpuffMonkey]

Thanks for replies so far - I can see the pitfalls myself - but as I say - I've been tasked to look for systems...not to think

[Domino]

What about an openfire IM server?

If you can configure the LDAP integration to work you should be able to send an IM to an 'emergency' group in AD

although that would require them to pay attention still....

[plexer]

aspsms.com - Solutions - 3rd-Party - Jabber to SMS

Ben

[SteveBentley]

Sounds like you want a shortcut on the desktop with a link to an intranet page which will handle the communications via a PHP/ASP script. You could have the room number as part of the shortcut, so http://intranetserver/emergencycall/call.php?room=5 to call somebody to room 5.

The PHP script can then chuck out emails or integrate with other systems as appropriate.

In fact, maybe you could link such a thing to something like the EduGeek emergency button type hardware?

[GrumbleDook]

No?

[Batman]

I was thinking of airhorns as standard issue to staff, but that works just as well!