Voice Broadcast Facilitates Fast Notification for E. Coli Crisis Management
NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Voice Broadcast Facilitates Fast Notification for E. Coli Crisis Management
ST. LOUIS (January 10, 2007) -The E. Coli outbreak that started in September 2006 was ultimately linked to 199 infections, 31 kidney failures and 3 deaths. It was one of the worst contamination cases to hit the United States in years. The contamination source was ultimately traced to raw spinach and raw green onions. Not only were retail food stores impacted by the subsequent recalls, but also fast food establishments that used the vegetables in food preparation. The crisis management and emergency response plans of these organizations were put to the test - and not all came out winners.
When such a contamination occurs it is important to quickly notify all personnel involved in the distribution and preparation cycle so that actions can be taken to protect the public. Furthermore, the pinpointing of the source does not always occur during normal business hours, so the communication process must work well during and after normal business hours. Crisis management plans often rely
on email notices to spread information, but e-mail breaks down if the recipient is off-line or at home.
What's the solution for an all hours, multi-point message distribution service? Voice broadcast!
Voice broadcast allows a centrally recorded message to be delivered simultaneously to tens, hundreds or thousands of phone number within in minutes. According the FCC, over 96% of US households have phones and over 75% of US adults carry cell phones. As such, the telephone is most ubiquitous contact point for employees and customers alike. As a case in point, voice broadcast is used by thousands of schools across the country to notify parents of cancellations, emergency announcements, rumor abetment and general reminders. If a school can use voice broadcast to cancel school at 6 AM, it can be used during a contamination crisis.
Voice broadcast from GroupCast is easy to use, unbelievably inexpensive and fast to set up. GroupCast can supply your organization with a self-service account under which multiple broadcast lists can be stored. A simple toll free recording line allows for message creation and a 2-step process allows broadcasts to launch from any PC with internet access or any touch tone phone. Easy-to-use features allow external lists to be imported broken down into sub-lists for targeted messaging. Real-time reporting of call results allows the sender to see how each call was answered. Plus, in-call interactive features allow the recipient to confirm receipt, replay the message or transfer to a
live person.
In time of crisis, voice broadcast puts the power of the telephone at your finger tips creating the ability to reach hundreds of thousands with a common message. It's important to note that your recipients will hear the same message at virtually the same time so there is instant, company-wide notification. Furthermore, if your organization as a course of business, maintains telephone number records on your customers, voice broadcast can be used to reach out quickly to your customer base. GroupCast has the capacity to launch over 200,000 calls per hour, so even the largest needs can be quickly accommodated.
GroupCast can help your company respond quickly to very serious events, whether they are food contamination threats, IT infrastructure problems, or urgent company news. For more information or to receive a quote, please contact John Kraemer at jkraemer@groupcast.com or by calling 800-420-1479.
About GroupCast: GroupCast, LLC <http://www.groupcast.com>, is a St. Louis-based company that provides innovative solutions for automated communications, including voice broadcasting, text and fax messaging. GroupCast markets its services under the trade names GroupCast, SchoolReach, TeamBlast and StorkCalling.com. More information can be found at www.groupcast.com or by contacting Paul Langhorst at 636-660-8026.