IVR Applications for the Emergency Services

 Information distribution by automated IVR Systems

One common and very effective use of IVR systems is the distribution of information to a large target audience, for example during a flood situation or other natural disaster, many people often need a similar range of pre-recorded information that is ideally suited to an automated system

Common examples are:

For Fire and Police Services:

"VoiceBank" applications for Press and Media are commonly used where an emergency service control room will periodically update the current information with new items thought to be newsworthy. Typically, a script will be drafted and approved, if required and the IVR system is updated simply and easily by telephone, with the ability to check and re-record if required.  Journalists and the media can call into the system as often as required to check for updates.

For Local authorities:

Emergency information lines can be set up and put in place allowing information updates to be heard by large numbers of people.  This could be a school closure information service - a flood warning or information line - or a generic information service put into use as required in any time of emergency.

The key benefits of the IVR system are its ability to handle possibly thousands of calls per hour without human intervention - and the ease of access by anyone with a telephone from anywhere in the world.