IRIS Emergency Communication System Update

emergencyimage166pxSometimes it is necessary to contact parents, students or staff with a message that is anything but routine. From weather-related schedule changes to warnings of extreme emergencies or crisis situations, timely and effective communication to staff, students and parents is critical.

School staff members and students must be told what is happening and what to do. Parents must also be informed about a school situation, including the status of their children. Timely contact with law enforcement and other emergency services is also necessary for effective response.

The Office of Risk Management recommends IRIS as an instant communication system to deploy both emergency and non-emergency messages. Many of our schools in the archdiocese as well as some of the private Catholic schools in the archdiocese are using this system.

IRIS, developed by a company called Tech Radium, is an acronym for Immediate Response Information System. IRIS is an easy and economical way to reach your staff and the parents of your students. The system is 100% web-based, giving you the ability to deploy a message at any time, from any location. Only a telephone or a computer with Internet access is required to record and send a message.

With IRIS, you can easily record and send a message in your own voice. IRIS is used by school systems, universities and businesses across the U.S., as well as state and federal government agencies. IRIS sends information to cell phones, land lines and other electronic devices and has a response feature that allows senders to immediately determine who received the alerts.

IRIS can be translated into 12 languages, so that parents who speak a different language can understand and respond. Clear first-hand information from school administration greatly reduces inbound return calls.

IRIS is also for non-emergency communication. It is useful for many other school and parish operations such as the following:

  • Notify Parents and Students Of School Closings
  • Contact Parents Of Missing Or Late Students
  • School Enrollment Announcements and Schedules
  • Contacting School Team Members for Meetings and Practices
  • Communicating Event or Sporting Event Cancellation
  • Notifying Parents of Report Cards.
  • Communicate Parent – Teacher Open House
  • Fundraising
  • Field Trips
  • Rescheduled Activities
  • Contacting For Volunteers
  • Contact parents at a specific grade level
  • Annual Appeal
  • Pastor Christmas and Easter Greetings
  • Finance Committees

If you would like more information, please contact David Huskins.