Figures from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) show that since 2012 there has been a rise in the number of deaths from terrorist attacks around the world. In 2015, 136 people died in the Paris attacks, 32 in Brussels and 84 on Bastille Day in Nice. How can event organisers and businesses ensure the safety of citizens, employees and tourists?
What can we learn from the 2016 Rio Olympics?
The recent Games is a good example of a country needing to adapt to an influx of overseas visitors. The 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics were a celebration of sporting excellence and culture. However, following a series of riots, criminal gang activity and the continued threat of Zika virus, the event was overshadowed by questions of health, safety and security.
1.17 million tourists descended on Rio – made up of athletes’ families, media personnel and sports fans. For most, traditional mobile phone communication is the primary contact channel used to stay in touch with friends, family and employers. However, mobile phones are the primary target for criminals with more than 8,000 robberies in Rio during June – up from 800 in May.
Power of multi modal, critical communications platforms
Reliance on a single form of communication will not work at high profile, high footfall events. It is important that event organisers such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) implement a multi modal, critical communications platform to prioritise the safety of spectators, athletes and staff to ensure they can communicate with people inside stadiums in the event of an incident.
No single communication delivery path ever reaches 100% of the people, 100% of the time – particularly when mobile phone theft is widespread. Communications platforms should use every available contact path until delivery is acknowledged. Everbridge, for example, can communicate via more than 100 different contact paths. This could range from digital signage at events to warn of overcrowding and re-direct spectators when an emergency occurs, to social media warnings or push notifications in the Rio 2016 app to warn tourists to change their journeys if safety is compromised at a venue.
It could be argued that the impact of crises in Rio could have been limited if visitors had been communicated with more effectively. The Zika virus was controlled throughout the Games, however, tourists and athletes expressed concerns in the run up to the event. A mass notification system could have been used by medical services throughout the Olympics to inform attendees of preventative measures recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
An example of a successful communications programme at a major sporting event was Super Bowl 50. In February 2016, the City of Santa Clara Police Department, used the Everbridge mass notification platform to manage all communications in the lead up to, during, and after Super Bowl. With 1.1 million people in attendance, emergency services, local authorities and organising bodies ensured visitors were kept up-to-date with the latest travel information such as rail or road closures, live traffic and parking updates, weather news, and any emergency alerts that required immediate action. All visitors and residents had to do was text SB50 to 888-777 to opt-in for this info.
Two-way communication – are you safe?
Responses received via mass notification platforms can be measured by answers such as ‘safe’ or ‘not safe’ – combined with location data pulled from Wi-Fi or ticket scanning that can establish who is impacted in a crisis.
For instance, if a fire broke out in a specific area of the Maracanã Stadium, organisers could aggregate the location data to instantly know which staff are in danger and make communicating with them a priority. At the same time, they could send out a notification to all staff operating at the location to implement emergency evacuation procedures via safe routes.
Mobile workforce – where are you?
Workplace mobility is on the rise. According to a 2015 report by Strategy Analytics, the global mobile workforce is expected to grow to more than 1.75 billion by 2020, accounting for almost half of all employees. Organisations have a duty of care to protect their employees, yet according to Ernst & Young’s most recent Global Mobility Effectiveness Survey, only 30 per cent of companies have a system in place to track business travellers.
Crisis communications platforms can be used by businesses to communicate with travelling employees when emergencies occur. The safety of employees that are in a danger zone and do not respond can be prioritised.
The most advanced platforms offer SOS alerting and Safe Corridor functionality via smartphone applications. An employee that has inadvertently strayed into an unfamiliar or dangerous area can use their mobile phone to alert an organisation that they are safe or to trigger an SOS alert. Once the panic button has been pressed, the platform immediately sends an alert to the organisation detailing the employee’s location and any relevant audio or visual data, enabling them to alert the emergency services.
As attention turns to the next major sporting events—such as Tokyo 2020 and the upcoming FIFA World Cups in Russia and Qatar— the rumour mill promises significant use of IoT, self-driving taxi’s, Olympic parks staffed by robots and stadiums fitted with cooling technology. However, event organisers should not overlook their core responsibility to keep visitors safe and informed. Terror threats and natural disasters are becoming too familiar. A mass notifications system, particularly one with location intelligence, can not only ensure communication reaches visitors in times of crisis but can have a direct impact on the efficiency and success of an event – the use cases are endless.
Nick Hawkins is Managing Director of Everbridge EMEA
