A recent survey result reveals that almost 99% of the administrators, leaders, and other board members said that their top priority was keeping their staff and students safe and secure.
However, when the same personnel considers how to keep in contact with their employees and learners in case of emergency, they often reach for their cell phones without considering that the top communication tool for school safety is two-way radios. Radios really outpace cell phones in terms of durability, reliability, and functionality. Moreover, there are also tailored radio solutions available regardless of the communication challenges faced by the schools.
If you are wondering what is the use of two-way radio communication and how you can use a two-way radio during an emergency, stay tuned for valuable insights.
Radios Vs. Cell Phone: Why Radios Always Win?
Here is a list of reasons that makes two-way radios way better than cell phones in an emergency to ensure safety:
- Instant One-To-Many Communications
With two-way radios, you can communicate in real-time throughout the school, without having to worry about signal or network issues. Transmissions are instant and the users will only need to press the Push To Talk (PTT) or the transmit button to be able to communicate with everyone.
There is no limit to the number of users that can be active on a channel at a particular time thus allowing the entire school staff to scale communications sitewide.
- Can Be Used While Driving
As far as the transportation staff is concerned, two-way radios are an invaluable tool. For everyone who is responsible for transferring students and staff to and from various locations can use radios to communicate as using cell phones while in motion are against the safety rules.
Additionally, if you are in the US, then two-way radios are approved by the US Department of Transportation (DOT).
- Greater Reliability And Reception
One of the major concerns while using cell phones during an emergency is the lack of service during a crisis. There are chances of dead zones, dropped calls, and much more. In case of large-scale catastrophes, cell phone service can become unavailable and overloaded, exactly when you need it the most.
To counter this two-way radios are engineered with string reception and radio traffic can be prioritized to protect the crucial communication. Radio features and applications are also available to extend their range to ensure communication throughout the campus and more considerable distances.
- Discreet And Lightweight
Two-way radios are designed to excel at communication and include essential features to ensure staff and student health and safety. For instance, GPS allows staff to keep track of their colleagues and quickly respond in case of an accident or incident. Lone worker is another available feature that allows supervisors to check the radio users at selected time intervals.
If any user fails to press the Push to Talk button to confirm their safety, the device can go into alert mode and send an alarm to anyone who is able to monitor the status of the workers.
- Longer Battery Life
Even though cell phones are wireless devices, the brief battery life makes frequent charging necessary for them. This becomes quite impractical during emergencies and users cannot always be tethered to their chargers.
In contrast, two-way radios have exceptionally longer battery life and to foster communication during unforeseen events it is best to rely on a device that has a long battery life and that won't give up on you when you most need it.
Better Coverage, Safer Staff And Students
Using two-way radio guarantees quality customer service and maintenance. Thus, at times of school lockdown when staff members will be constantly on the move, ensuring processes are smooth and seamless should be your first priority as a school administrator. Two-way radios can offer just that. In case you are struggling to prepare yourself for unknown threats or are not aware of crisis management, consider pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Administration, Management & Leadership Program to keep everyone under your radar safe and secure.
