Survey Finds Personal Alerts Help Mobile Phone Owners Feel Safer During an Emergency

Four-out-of-five Americans (81%) who own a mobile phone would feel safer in an emergency situation if they received an emergency notification on their phone informing them of what was going on, according to a recent Federal Signal survey conducted online in June by Harris Poll. At an important time when today’s changing communication preferences make reaching citizens more challenging, Federal Signal understands the need for, and provides, an added layer of communication to assist emergency managers reach citizens during unexpected emergencies.

Federal Signal Alerting & Notification Systems Division is a leader in mass notification solutions for communities and facilities around the world. Their SmartMsg Software provides an interface for FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which allows emergency managers to disseminate consistent alert information through a simple communications method and platform that allows them to geographically target notification areas and alert citizens. SmartMsg acts as a bridge in communicating alerts to citizens across multiple channels. 

“It’s imperative to stay two steps ahead of citizens and deliver the information they need to hear, even when they aren’t listening,” said Matt Brady, vice president and general manager for Federal Signal Corporation.  “By taking the tools emergency mangers are already familiar with, we are able to enhance our solution with IPAWS to allow emergency managers and safety officials to reach citizens — even if they aren’t expecting it. Using IPAWS to push notifications directly to citizens keeps them conveniently informed and safe in a personalized, real-time way.”

As technology continues to evolve, it shapes how citizens not only expect to receive notifications and alerts, but their expectation for being notified proactively. Federal Signal continues to explore and expand channels to ensure there are multiple layers of communications for public safety officials to successfully take advantage of and leverage to reach citizens. 

About Federal Signal

Federal Signal Corporation enhances the safety, security and well-being of communities and workplaces around the world. Founded in 1901, Federal Signal is a leading global designer and manufacturer of products and total solutions that serve municipal, governmental, industrial and institutional customers. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill. with manufacturing facilities worldwide, the company operates four groups: Safety and Security Systems, Environmental Solutions, Federal Signal Technologies and Fire Rescue. For more information on Federal Signal, visit: http://www.federalsignal.com.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Hill + Knowlton Strategies from June 4-6, 2014 among 2,036 adults ages 18 and older, of whom 1,749 own a mobile phone. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Katie Brinnehl at Katie.brinnehl@hkstrategies.com.

About Nielsen & The Harris Poll

On Feb. 3, 2014, Nielsen acquired Harris Interactive and The Harris Poll.  Nielsen Holdings N.V. is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence and mobile measurement. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA and Diemen, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.

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