Telephone Alerting System...?

[jpizzo127]

My squadron has always used callfire but there is an issue with reliability.

Does anyone have a quality automated alerting system they recommend for mission call outs?

It should be easy to use, cost effective and reliable.

THanks!

[Eclipse]

Make a group on your phone, PC, or mail server.  If you need a free way to send the messages / make calls, Google Voice will be free in CONUS
for at least another year.  That should do everything you need.

[coudano]

will google voice call everyone in a call group and play them a recorded message?
because that would rock...

i think last time i looked at it, it couldn't do that
or if it could, i couldn't figure it out


i'm pretty sure it can text groups like that...
but calls???

[Eclipse]

You could text / email the group and then you could have them call a GVoice # and listen to your message regarding the mission - it allows for multiple messages, and you could have it so at the end anyone responding with an affirmative, or has questions, would leave a message, which would then be transcribed into an email to whomever or any group you want.

The numbers are potentially disposable, so you don't have to give real cel or home numbers out for responses (if that's an issue).

Having only people who are interested call in is actually more efficient than trying to make 100 phone calls and leave messages.

[Spaceman3750]

http://www.call-em-all.com

[Mark_Wheeler]

CAWG uses an e-mail list that sends a mass text message to everyone in the alerting area. You send in your phones text messaging e-mail address (T-Moble is for example 5558675309@tmomail.net) The IC sends an e-mail to a certain e-mail address, which forwards it to everyone on the list.

Mark

[Robborsari]

I have been using www.directra.com.  It has a lot of interesting features.  They are working with me on adding features to import duty positions and qualifications as tags that let you generate lists on the fly like all ics or squadron duty officers.  It will send, email, texts, or digital voice calls as well as recorded messages.  They also have a feature that allows you to choose a list of people to conference and it calls their phone and conferences them together without needing to send out numbers and passcodes and so on.  You can also start a text conference so everyone gets the same texts.  They have nice features and are very interested in the ES alerting market.  Its free for now and they are aware that we are all volunteer.  I hope it will be free or nearly free for CAP even when they start charging.

[Duke Dillio]

I may be antiquated but I still wonder why units aren't still using the old phone tree system that worked for decades....  Almost everyone has a cell phone now so it should be easier to get a hold of people not to mention you get feedback from the bottom so you know who is going to show up.  At the top you make like two phone calls and you are done until you get a call back.  You could follow up the phone call with an email if you want to send specific details but otherwise the system should work fine.  I just don't understand why we are going to all of these newfangled systems that probably won't work should there be some serious natural disaster, terrorist attack, etc...

[Robborsari]

The problem I found with a phone tree is time.  It takes time to call each person on your list, explain what is going on and have them pass it on.  With directra I can write the message once then have any number of people receive it at the same time by phone, text and email.  We have procedures to report in case of infrastructure destroying events that happen with no warning.