Concise Communication in Eaton County, MI
Customer Success Story
Rave Alert Customization Allows for Concise Communication in Eaton County, MI
Industry
Challenges Solved
9-1-1 Response, Incident Collaboration, Mass Notification, Safety & Protection
Customer Details
Eaton County, MI, is 579 square miles with more than 108,000 residents across 43,908 households and 2,092 businesses.
Solution
THE CHALLENGE
What is the most effective way to communicate with a diverse community with drastically different needs, interests and daily routines? Officials in Eaton County, Michigan, struggled with this question as they researched solutions to help alert residents to issues and emergencies that impacted them.
Eaton County is mostly rural, with more densely-populated communities nestled next to nearby Lansing, the state capital of Michigan. These distinct regions require very different notifications, and Eaton County officials required a solution that could easily geo-target, segment and scale without causing residents to opt out after receiving too many irrelevant alerts.
The Solution
Eaton County 9-1-1 call takers were already using the Rave 911 Suite to help locate, communicate and assist callers. Easily adding Rave Alert into the existing platform greatly enhanced the ability to drive more registrations, reach a wider audience, and provide targeted information when it’s needed the most.
“No other mass notification solution offered us what the combined Rave platform did,” said Michael Armitage, the director of Eaton County Central Dispatch.
Eaton County officials didn’t just want to broadcast messages to everyone in the county; they also wanted to ensure that alerts were only delivered to people who would be most impacted. The team knew that sending too many messages could easily fatigue residents and motivate them to unsubscribe from receiving any and all notifications.
Because the county featured such a wide range of needs and interests, Eaton County used tools like geofencing to make sure that alerts only were delivered to affected members of the population. For example, it made no sense for officials to send a message to all the residents of Eaton County about a gas main break in a neighborhood when the message only pertained to those in the vicinity or traveling through the area.
When signing up for alerts, Eaton County residents can pick which types of messages they want to receive. They can choose to only be notified about emergencies, or they can sign up for specialized lists, such as one that alerted them to local traffic conditions or weather. However, these lists don’t restrict users from receiving important messages. For example, Eaton County can still inform everyone in the area about major traffic delays, not just those who have signed up for a specific list.
“We wanted to provide options,” Armitage said. “We didn’t want people to unsubscribe from emergency alerts because they were receiving too many notifications that didn’t apply to them.”
“Rave Alert has been an amazing communication resource for our community. The ability to customize has helped us meet our county’s specific needs, while ensuring that we deliver the right message to the right people at exactly the right time.”
MICHAEL ARMITAGE
DIRECTOR
EATON COUNTY CENTRAL DISPATCH
The Result
Introducing Rave Alert to the residents of Eaton County drove Rave Alert registrations. During the first 45 days of promoting Rave Alert, Armitage received a significant increase in Smart911 Safety Profile registrations due to the combined registration process. 70% of signups now come directly from the Smart911 app. With this community portal, Eaton County residents can register for alerts and fill out Smart911 Safety Profiles to provide first responders with their address, medical needs and other life-saving details.
Rave Alert has helped Eaton County officials and residents be confident that they’re capable of communicating and taking action during an emergency. It has also helped them better prepare for any future incidents by sharing information that can make all the difference.
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