In an emergency, every second counts — and clear communication can mean the difference between chaos and control. That’s why so many schools, aged care facilities, and workplaces rely on communications system such as PA systems, Emergency Warning and Intercommunication Systems (EWIS), Fire Indicator Panels (FIP), and other broadcast messaging systems to coordinate their emergency response.
What if…. Your Primary Communications System Failed During a Real Emergency?
Emergencies rely on clear communication — but what happens when your primary communications system fails?
For many schools, aged care facilities, and workplaces, that primary system includes a combination of:
- PA systems
- Emergency notification platforms (like SchoolBox, Teams, or Vivi)
- Emergency Warning and Intercommunication Systems (EWIS)
- Fire Indicator Panels (FIP)
Each of these systems plays a role in keeping people informed and safe — but no technology is perfect. Whether due to power failure, system error, or mechanical breakdown, losing your primary communication system during a live emergency is a very real risk.
What Does This Mean for Your Emergency Planning?
Relying solely on technology creates a dangerous single point of failure. Power outages, software glitches, and hardware failures can all render your communications systems useless at the worst possible moment. And when that happens, your people and your plan become your lifeline.
Your Emergency Response Plan needs to assume:
✅ Technology might fail at the worst time.
✅ Staff must be ready to communicate and manage manually.
✅ Regular drills must test what happens when the PA or primary communications system goes offline.
- Backup Communication Methods Are Essential
Your plan should detail exactly how to communicate manually if your systems fail. This might include:
- Megaphones or portable PA systems
- Two-way radios for warden communication
- Manual call points or hand-operated sirens
These backups need to be available, functional, and practised.
- Your Wardens Become Your Voice
In the event that your communications systems fail, your wardens become the frontline communicators. It is essential that wardens understand their key responsibilities and know exactly what to do in an emergency. They need to know:
✅ How to raise the alarm manually.
✅ How to provide clear instructions directly to staff, students, and visitors.
✅ How to manage communication between wardens and the Chief Warden without relying on built-in comms.
Effective communication between wardens can make all the difference in an emergency situation, so it’s crucial to establish clear, reliable communication channels in advance.
- Drill for Failure, Not Just Success
Many schools and workplaces typically practise emergency drills assuming everything will work perfectly. While it’s important to test your systems under ideal conditions, it’s just as vital to simulate a total communications failure during your next evacuation or lockdown drill. Testing your team’s response when the communications system is down is the best way to ensure they will remain calm, confident, and effective in the real world.
Drilling for failure builds the adaptability needed to cope with unpredictable situations, ensuring your staff can still respond efficiently without technology.
- Review and Improve After Every Incident
If your primary communications system ever fails during a real-life emergency, it should trigger a Post-Incident Review. This review is an essential part of strengthening your emergency preparedness for the future. Your review should answer key questions, including:
✅ How was the failure detected?
✅ How were backup systems activated?
✅ Were there communication gaps or delays?
✅ What changes will strengthen future responses?
Final Thoughts
Technology supports your emergency response — but prepared people drive its success (or failure). By planning for technology failure, training your staff for manual response, and testing your plans under stress, you build true resilience into your emergency management.
At Bounce Readiness, we help schools and workplaces develop practical, realistic Emergency Response Plans — including contingencies for communication failures.