How to Choose an Incident Management System for Your Needs

A web-based incident management system (IMS) can provide enormous value to managers of events, facilities, venues and properties.

With an incident management system, you can greatly improve your incident management process.

With an IMS in place, increased awareness, accurate and digital records, enhanced communication, and ability to monitor and analyze incidents occurring throughout your property in real time, can go from overwhelming to piece of cake!

Look:

The purpose of these systems is to reduce a property’s overall exposure to liability, to enhance the safety and security of the public, and better prepare you for liability defense.

In today’s article we’re going to look at the possible incident management needs of properties and how the right incident management system can fulfill those operational needs – for you.

A Close Look: The Potential Problems Managers Face

Before choosing the right system, it’s a good idea to be aware of your current operational needs and drawbacks.

Let’s highlight some of the possibilities.

Inadequate awareness, tracking, documenting, and communication of Incidents or issues is a challenge faced by managers across many industries:

Music Festivals
Convention Centers
Physical Security
Stock Car Racing
Sport Events

With your existing systems (or lack of system) in place, your staff may not be aware of incidents occurring throughout your property.

Lack of efficiency of overall communication prevents them from responding in a timely manner before an incident is escalated.

This can have a significant impact on the safety and security of the public.

Common incidents or issues you probably encounter often include:

Medical Issues
Guest Complaints
Fights
Bomb Threats
Suspicious Person
Maintenance Issues

It gets worse:

Many properties still use pen and paper to record and track incidents or issues. If you don’t offer staff and the public a way to communicate to your supervisors or you – you’re in trouble.

But, the good news is: You’re reading the right article. We’re going to help you achieve peace of mind before we hand it over to you.

We’ve recognized the importance of professionals like you implementing intuitive systems for quick creation and communication of incidents and issues.

With that said, the goal of this article:

Is to give you the insight needed to fully understand the importance of an incident management system and how invaluable they are.

With this knowledge, you’ll become aware of incidents that – in the past – went unreported. You’ll also be able to enhance response times to all incidents or issues through better communication…both to and from the public.

Want to know the best part?

By doing this, you’re now able to reduce your property’s overall risk, and enhance the safety, security, and experience of the public.

The ACDA Principle Removes the Stress of Finding a “Super System”

We’ve done the homework and research for you.

All we ask of you:

Trust us.

We’ve identified the type of system any manager, from any industry, can fully utilize for their needs – without needing to implement various systems across multiple platforms.

These “super systems” – as we’ve coined them – fill a critical void and employ the ACDA principle in their structure.

They maximize awareness and response times for a variety of incidents and issues that occur.

The end result…it helps achieve what all managers strive for (besides peace of mind):

Minimizing risk and maximizing the safety and security of the public (i.e. guests, patrons, visitors, etc.).

The last thing you want to happen is someone on your team to be made aware of an incident and then not to respond in a timely manner or not to respond at all because their attention was elsewhere.

Now, you’re in luck.

Many of these systems contain several safeguards preventing scenarios like this from occurring. Let’s not waste anymore of our time.

The Makings of the Most Versatile Type of Incident Management System in the Marketplace

Have you identified your needs at this point? Do you understand the importance of using the ACDA Principle as a guideline for selecting the right incident management software?

(Pro tip: The ACDA Principle can help you achieve peace of mind in any aspect of your operation, not only incident management. Learn more about the ACDA Principle here.)

Let’s take a look at the value brought to you by flexible and robust systems:

Have the ability to develop and set up protocols to display by incident type in your incident dispatch queue. Operators of your system will know exactly what to do and how to do it.

(Pro tip: Some systems include a dispatch interface that utilizes a color coding system, where each incident has a different color and is time stamped for its corresponding status. We’d tell you any day of the week – that’s a MUST-HAVE feature.)

Users can see when incidents are sitting in a certain status for a prolonged period of time. This gives them a signal to contact the person or department the incident was assigned to. This prevents the “waiting game” most command center operators are exposed to.

It’s vital to know whether the incident is being handled!

Here’s the deal:

This improved flow of information leads to better response times – ultimately – reducing risk and enhancing the safety, security and experience for the public.

Where certain departments are assigned incidents, and response times may be critical, incidents assigned to those departments can also be programmed to blink after too long:

Crucial departments to employ this criteria:

Medical
Police
Fire Rescue
Engineering (Broken equipment affecting the safety of the public)

Multiple calls are often dispatched over the radio to a person or department within a short period of time. This results in some calls slipping through the cracks.

These systems allow for a text or email to be sent to any staff member that needs to be in the loop. This prevents anything from going unnoticed or even forgotten.

With multiple incidents occurring in certain instances, these systems provide managers with the ability to effectively manage resources and allocate as necessary.

For example:

You can view the number and details of incidents assigned to each operational unit to determine who would be the quickest to respond. When you manage multiple response units on a daily basis – this is key!

Mobile Technology Has Redefined the Playing Field

Another feature of these incident command systems involves the use of incident management mobile applications.

We call these “Game Changers” for your incident management process.

If you come across a system that doesn’t offer any type of mobile technology, why bother? With the capabilities of today, you should certainly be concerned if a solution provider doesn’t offer mobile enhancements to their platform.

(Pro tip: There are many solutions offering mobile applications, but you’ll want to choose a solution that offers applications for both mobile phones and portable tablets. This will provide flexibility when managing and tracking incidents or issues on-the-fly. Many are equipped to use Wi-Fi or cellular data carriers like AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

You’ll want the ability to store information on the mobile application in the event you’re documenting information in a location without Wi-Fi connection, such as a parking lot.)

These applications can close a serious communication deficiency for all properties.

How does your team currently report issues or incidents? Not every operation arms their team with radios…does yours?

We’re aware of operations that don’t allow their staff to carry personal devices – especially in the sport industry – leaving staff no way to report issues.

What’s the bottom line?

This opens the door to unsupervised areas and increased risk.

(Pro tip: Speed and accuracy of communication is the key to efficiently handling situations and preventing them from escalating.)

Incident management mobile apps are something you should consider when choosing a system. Your team will be able to report issues within seconds for a fraction of the cost of radios.

Here’s the kicker:

These mobile devices let your team send various forms of media for supplemental documentation into your system:

Photos of Incident Scenes
Video Witness Statements
Audio Witness Statements

These applications also allow for two-way communication.

An issue is reported through mobile application.
Command Center receives details of incident.
Staff can be messaged for more information as needed.
Frontline staff quickly responds with additional details.

It gets even better…

Not only can there be communication to and from a single device…

All devices can be messaged if needed with the ability to send pictures and videos.

Let’s put it into perspective:

The command center is sent a picture of a suspicious person. They can immediately send that photo to every device for the property. Your teams can quickly eliminate a potential hazard before it becomes a problem for your operation and the public.

Speaking of suspicious person:

No longer do you need to worry about spotting repeat offenders with the right system in place. Progressive systems include some form of an ‘associated person database’.

These ‘databases’ store and allow you to easily access information such as photos of persons involved in incidents. You and your staff can access past records which might identify individuals involved in previous incidents.

How’s that for peace of mind?

Getting back to the value of the mobile applications, supervisors can timestamp response times from the device. This will update all device screens, in use, throughout your property – in real time. This results in more accurate tracking of incident response times.

Your response teams no longer need to radio or call operators entering the response times for each incident at every step of the way. The responders can simply timestamp the new status themselves.

How’s THAT for peace of mind?

We know this is an outstanding feature providing your team with intangible value. It’ll help your operation make strides with regards to increasing response times to incidents, and retrieving complete and accurate documentation.

Facts Help Solve Every Piece of the Puzzle (And Protect Your Future)

The unknown impacts your ability to efficiently, effectively and expeditiously respond to anything at your property…and worse…the experience of the public.

Now you can have valuable and useful information at your fingertips to pursue your goal of maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

One-click reports!
Comprehensive statistics!
All the data you need to increase operational efficiency!

You’ll also be fully equipped with a complete historical database of detailed facts and figures to protect your property against any potential future liability.

Over to You

Now that you’ve identified your needs and potential problems, understanding how incident management software greatly enhances daily and event operations using the ACDA Principle…must be a breeze.

What are your next steps? Will you use this article to implement the right solution for your needs?